Comments

I completely agree. Us Canadians are about in the dark as it can be as well. I'm 23 and most of my school mates and people I work with don't have a clue about the power of Social Media. It's horrifying to not be anywhere farther along than we currently are and know the direction the World is going. Hopefully our resource based economy holds up!

Posted by William Yatscoff at March 23, 2009 4:36 PM

TP - This is an excellent post! I loved the articles. Thank you--very much appreciated!

erik - I loved the Adrian Wooldridge "Cool Friends" interview. Thanks!

William - There is tremendous hope in these articles for the current generation and loads for yours. Perhaps it's not about holding certain aspects of this economy up but innovating and disrupting to build new kinds of global economies. Keep the faith!

Posted by Judith Ellis at March 23, 2009 7:01 PM

Interesting! And thanks for the link.

I admit that I wonder if we are going to be as entrepreneurial fifteen years from now in the U.S. When I was in my mid twenties, I was on the career track and on my way to starting a business. I'm hearing a lot of stories about people in their twenties today still living at home, having a hard time finding their footing. Times seem to have changed.

If our job market isn't strong, and if our young people don't retain a stubborn self sufficiency streak, I worry for our ability to compete down the road.

Posted by Cheri Baker at March 23, 2009 10:05 PM

At last it's recognised that in the UK we're not entrepreneurial. Governments for years have talked about the rise in the number of small businesses but in general these are individuals with no employees and no intention of growing their business who have in too many cases been forced into self-employment.

I haven't read the article yet but in my opinion the UK lags behind because too many people:

1. Won't (don't want to) work hard;
2. Supplement their business income by cheating the social security system;
3. Lack appropriate training (starting from what they didn't learn at school); and
4. Are cynical/critical of success.

Posted by Stuart Jones at March 24, 2009 8:53 AM

Tom,

Interesting article in The Economist, but I wonder…is the U.S. losing its dominant place in the world of entrepreneurship?

I have been following reports by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), and the National Academies, that indicate the U.S. is rapidly falling behind the main 40 nations/regions of the world who are progressive innovators. I have posted parts I and II on this subject, and will soon put my neck on the chopping block with part III, but I strongly believe that the U.S. needs to shake itself awake and get back on track. We seem to think that IPOs are more important than Innovation. It should be the other way around.

Posted by Bob Foster at March 24, 2009 10:24 AM

The forces that make us Entrepreneurial Society
are a double edged sword. We value indiviualism but our current mess is because of our over emphasis on individualism. Thats why we resist regulation, a sensible energy policy, and health care. Japan and Europe need to be more like us but we need to be more like them.

I never trust anyone who praises Reagan - we are currently in the Deep Voodoo that George Bush the elder warned up about if we chose Reagan over in in 1980.

Posted by dan at March 24, 2009 6:07 PM

Entrepreneurship by another name/game is the cult of Trevor Gay in Manchester United land - where just recently AIG cut MU off from their $78M/year lapdog largesse.

"All the money to the front line MU millionaires" the Gay cult proclaimed over & over in a ritualistic/hooligan chant in Shakespeare country. "Beloved" MU has become Satanic & is on a bankruptcy enhancing losing streak perhaps? >:)

Posted by C Love at March 24, 2009 6:42 PM

C Love – thank you!

UP THE REDS!! – My beloved Manchester United - The best football (soccer) team in the word. We don’t actually need or want AIG. There will be a long queue of multi-billion dollar enterprises throughout the planet wishing to be associated with Man United – by far the biggest soccer brand in the world.

Keep taking the medication my friend :- )

Take a look here at how some folks from the US enjoyed a recent trip to Manchester United

http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={83A644F4-1A7E-48B9-AF95-4605613A9A18}&newsid=6629432

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 24, 2009 6:55 PM

dan says ‘I never trust anyone who praises Reagan’

dan - I worry EVEN MORE about anyone who praises Thatcher. I’m convinced that her policies of greed, individuality and selfishness are at the root of what is wrong with society in Britain in 2009. Her mantra ruined entire communities; ruined the concept of working together; promoted individualism over collective working; implicitly (possibly explicitly) said ‘You don’t need to give a toss about your neighbour – just look after number one’

Nevertheless I remain optimistic about young people in Britain. I think they are smarter than the Thatcher clones who want to perpetuate her dismally failed mantras. I think young people will rebel against the individual greed concept that Thatcher so passionately promoted. I think our young people will care for others less fortunate and will find a new currency of entrepreneurship that will be about fostering relationships and a caring society rather than a currency of money, greed and status symbols which have taken us to where we are now.

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 24, 2009 8:10 PM

It is obvious to me that few, if any of you, are entrepreneurs. If you were, you would not confuse the reasons most of us are company-starters with the selfishness theme that is dominating your posts. We entrepreneurs do it for some or all of these reasons:
1. We are fed up with the slow pace of big companies.
2. We are repulsed by the zombies that go to work and stampede out at 4:59:59 PM.
3. We like the more direct correlation of the company's (notice I didn't say "my") success with our efforts.
4. Some of us don't play well with others.
5. We learn more doing it (succeeding and failing) our way, and we like learning.
6. We LOVE,repeat LOVE, what we do!
7. We love seeing our colleagues succeed too.

For example, the selfishness you are talking about can happen at big companies when the a**&&&&s who climb over people on the corporate ladder. This has nothing in common with entrepreneurship, and I would argue that this type of selfishness is very detrimental, if not prohibitive, to entrepreneurial success.

Posted by Terry Ransbury at March 24, 2009 8:59 PM

Just came across a cool blog, Allan Young's Incoherence. There is a great piece, The Startup Myth, that relates to Terry's comment. Allan Young distinguishes between the trappings of startups and the actuality of being entrepreneurs. It's a thoughtful piece indeed. Here is the link: http://allantyoung.com/2008/12/07/the-startup-myth/

Posted by Judith Ellis at March 24, 2009 10:37 PM

Terry - thanks for the insight. Here some like the Gay-Cult - drink the madness Kool-Aid - so they must be forgiven for their extremes. :>)

Posted by C Love at March 25, 2009 6:51 AM

Terry – among the multitude of reasons I left the corporate world after 35 years is well covered in your 7 points. I relate comfortably to all of them. I agree with you that selfishness exists in big organisations – in fact in my experience there is more selfishness in that world where we witness people frantically scrambling up the corporate ladder, keeping themselves squeaky clean in the minds of the bosses, (colouring inside the lines as Tom puts it) and not giving a toss who you hurt on the way up.

By the way I think ‘entrepreneurs’ exist outside the scenario of ‘employing people’ and/or ‘having a company.’ Very hard working sole traders who love their work can equally be called entrepreneurs.

C Love – thanks again for the testimonial my friend :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 25, 2009 1:12 PM

"in fact in my experience there is more selfishness in that world where we witness people frantically scrambling up the corporate ladderkeeping themselves squeaky clean in the minds of the bosses, (colouring inside the lines as Tom puts it) and not giving a toss who you hurt on the way up."

This is often very true. But wonder if the language on some level will need to change before it is heard. The us against you, front line against management scenario, is probably not as effective as it used to be. I'm really just wondering.

By the way, what is described above happens on all levels between all people, even the front line. It is, after all, a "ladder."

Posted by Judith Ellis at March 25, 2009 2:46 PM

"But wonder if the language on some level will need to change before it is heard. The us against you, front line against management scenario, is probably not as effective as it used to be. I'm really just wondering."

Judith – an excellent observation that I appreciate. I guess my language reflects my passion about this issue. My views have been formed through my practical experience as a manager for many years; my academic management and leadership study; as a front liner; and of course what I have witnessed. Without a doubt the most effective managers I've worked with and worked for, are humble and see employees as genuine partners and equals. The managers I mean to criticise with my loud language are those who act in an opposite, usually pretentious and aloof way. Sometimes I suppose my passion takes over and counting to ten would be a good strategy before striking the keyboard. Maybe I need to make it clearer in my comments that I’m not talking about managers in general but specifically about those who are full of their own importance and act as though they are more important than they really are. I agree with you that confrontation is not helpful in modern business and 'old' language of management versus worker is somewhat outdated. The sad thing is I fear there are still plenty of examples of antiquated management practices that devalue front line folks which need to be exposed for what they are. Thanks again.

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 25, 2009 3:33 PM

Trevor - Your particular experience has value and is appreciated. In no way did I mean to devalue that. Your point about language versus practice is a good one--much appreciated. Language is often a barrier to any change. Period.

Thanks for the response.

Posted by Judith Ellis at March 25, 2009 3:50 PM

Cheers Judith

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 25, 2009 4:34 PM

"I agree with you that confrontation is not helpful in modern business "

Yeah but it's fun :-)

Posted by PaulH at March 26, 2009 2:24 AM

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Posted by tom peters at March 26, 2009 8:11 AM