Friday, February 04, 2011

You Have To Be A Little Wild

City of Los Angeles, Koreatown neighborhood signImage via WikipediaYou have to be a little wild to be doing the tech entrepreneur thing.

For one, the risks are high. All else equal you will more likely fail than succeed. The success stories make it to the press. The sob stories? There's not enough newsprint on the planet. And it is not one risk, one hump you get over. There are risks after risks after risks. Every step of the way. It is roller coaster. If you are not going to enjoy the ride, the solace of some day reaching the destination might be false. You might never get there. The journey is where it is at. The journey itself is the reward. If you don't think so, get into another line of work.

You have to be able to look at the establishment and look the other way. You have to be able to look at the status quo and sneer. You have to jolt. You have to give them the finger.

You have to be able to see virgin territory when everyone else is thinking, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The best entrepreneurs don't conquer markets, they invent them.

You have to be a little bit on the wild side to be able to do it. You might want to start with hair. That is how Dennis Crowley got his start.

January 2010: Craig Newmark, Dennis Crowley, Jennifer 8 Lee: Koreatown
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