Just ten years ago, having the ability to market to people, market yourself and to keep up with your friends without being intrusive was just a pipe dream. The way of doing business was very linear – you put money into advertising, product, business development and out popped customers, investors and press. It was a very simple back then.
But it’s not back then. It’s 2010, soon to be 2011.
With approximately 10 percent unemployment, a busted housing market, reduced credit lines and overall a depressed economy, I still believe this is a great time. We’re in an entrepreneurial revolution. For whom? Thinkers and doers.
Thinkers discover new models, new ways to help people, new solutions and new problems. They hack existing solutions to make them more useful, more efficient and more engaging to customers. They might take one solution and connect it to another solution, effectively producing another solution; or they might scrap both solutions for a better solution.
Doers believe in thinkers and help make those dreams happen. They apply their knowledge and dig deep for the mechanics of a process, and they like to be nurtured to explore. Often seeking guidance from thinkers, doers require permission to try new things, try new models and look at the results for validation. Essentially, doers need to see the process work and then they engineer it
Thinkers and doers understand the new world order of “doing more with less” (forgive the cliché, but it’s apropos). Doers are not inferior from thinkers; they work collaborate and are a perfect working pair. When one zigs, the other zags. They work in harmony of trying and testing new things, tweaking them towards perfection and acceptance from others.
While to some, this current economy is challenging, I believe it’s ripe with opportunity. Opportunity to explore, opportunity to try, opportunity to fail and opportunity to succeed. With the Internet, it’s so easy to nurture an idea into a business. It’s so easy to get it in front of millions of people.
Look, a website is dirt cheap to operate. It’s free to publish ideas. It’s free to research and find data on your ideas. It’s free to build a community. It’s next to free to advertise. It’s next to free to get press and buzz.
If you’re down right now, put all your bullshit reasons why not to do something and compartmentalize them next to the taunts from elementary school. There are many problems in the world today that can be supplanted with technology. You don’t have to be super smart, have a degree or have lots of money to create an idea and execute. You just need passion and patience.
You only need to find people who are interested in it and are willing to help you. Willing to challenge you. Willing to hold you accountable. Willing to fail.
It’s because of all these reasons, we’re in a great time. A great time for entrepreneurship. A great time to solve some problems and earn some street cred.
If you’re a doer – find a thinker. If you’re a thinker – find a doer. You’d be amazed with what kind of ideas you can create that will grow big. All it takes a little rational thought, a little cynicism and a little creativity.
Hack on.
Image credit: flattop341
