The era of diverse entrepreneurs has arrived.
I still remember going to Beijing more than ten years ago to meet a partner from the Central Academy of Fine Arts. We talked about entrepreneurship, and he said entrepreneurs weren’t as sensitive and cautious as we were—they were more aggressive and less concerned about other people’s feelings. The first person who came to mind was Donald Trump. Back then, he was only hosting a TV show called The Apprentice.
That idea later took root in my mind: maybe someone like me—introverted, not fond of socializing or getting close to people—wasn’t suited to entrepreneurship, or even to doing business. Maybe entrepreneurship was more for extroverts. But now I realize that was a prejudice, and it held me back in many ways.
The internet has erased the distortions that used to come with sharing information. It rewards uniqueness and difference, and makes the chances of finding people like you far greater than we could ever have imagined. If you like painting and don’t enjoy chatting, there might be someone just like you in a small Central European country 10,000 kilometers away. In the past, you couldn’t reach them. Now they’re right at your fingertips.
Entrepreneurship is the same. Who decided what the old models had to look like? These days, I see lots of people on Substack who may have built a small business and a space of their own right at the kitchen table, in their own homes, alongside their day jobs.
So I want to say two things: First, don’t let old prejudices constrain your thinking. Second, take action. Action brings concrete feedback. Even writing a post yourself is a first step toward getting out of your own head.
I still remember going to Beijing more than ten years ago to meet a partner from the Central Academy of Fine Arts. We talked about entrepreneurship, and he said entrepreneurs weren’t as sensitive and cautious as we were—they were more aggressive and less concerned about other people’s feelings. The first person who came to mind was Donald Trump. Back then, he was only hosting a TV show called The Apprentice.
That idea later took root in my mind: maybe someone like me—introverted, not fond of socializing or getting close to people—wasn’t suited to entrepreneurship, or even to doing business. Maybe entrepreneurship was more for extroverts. But now I realize that was a prejudice, and it held me back in many ways.
The internet has erased the distortions that used to come with sharing information. It rewards uniqueness and difference, and makes the chances of finding people like you far greater than we could ever have imagined. If you like painting and don’t enjoy chatting, there might be someone just like you in a small Central European country 10,000 kilometers away. In the past, you couldn’t reach them. Now they’re right at your fingertips.
Entrepreneurship is the same. Who decided what the old models had to look like? These days, I see lots of people on Substack who may have built a small business and a space of their own right at the kitchen table, in their own homes, alongside their day jobs.
So I want to say two things: First, don’t let old prejudices constrain your thinking. Second, take action. Action brings concrete feedback. Even writing a post yourself is a first step toward getting out of your own head.