The best way to predict the future is to create it. – Peter Drucker
Looking back, the
concept of entrepreneurship has undergone a sea change, as did
everything else. Gone are the days when young enterprise was frowned upon and
startups were unheard of. If job security was the watchword then, the same
security blanket was flung out of the window as crises gripped the global
economy and financials took a beating.
Lifting the self-imposed shades, the public saw
the world for what it was – in black and white – that entrepreneurship was the
tool to fight unemployment, generate jobs and, with it, wealth. Glorying in its
image makeover, entrepreneurship became a matter of pride. Gen Y businessman
veered away from profit pipe dreams to look to innovation, creativity, and a
sense of balance to keep their own. Small
is beautiful, indeed!
With the pink slip a stark reality, striking out on one’s own was
a practical solution. Clued up, connected, or plugged in – describe it any
which way – the teenager/school student with a micro-business proposal is now credited
with a hearing, success surfing in via the laptop and Internet.
Individual success stories led to the birth of corporate
entrepreneurship, and major firms began investing in, rather than acquiring, startups.
Industry experts say 30% of large companies are seed funding entrepreneurial
and intrapreneurial ventures. Not to be left behind, banks too began jumping
onto the bandwagon.
So much
so that employers now take on even failed entrepreneurs; mastering one’s destiny
has made its mark. And with individual success, social entrepreneurship and
social innovation rose to the fore combining determination, optimism, and
resourcefulness to pursue social change and social profit. The spurt in
education, more rights for women and minorities, and the swell of information
technology made social innovation a reality.
Behind every successful business is an individual or a group of
individuals who dares to dream. Hail Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and
others of his ilk!