Watch out Suits, the Kids are Coming

Wednesday, August 9, 2006 at 04:28pm by David Askaripour in Innovation

Who will create the next Google? Who will create the next Microsoft? You want to know who I’m putting my money on? I’m putting my money on some young, motivated, hungry, dorm-room entrepreneur with the passion to change the world by creating the next big thing. Or perhaps the young student simply trying to solve a problem only to see his or her solution become a full-blown business – a monster!

When it comes to innovation, I tend to believe that young entrepreneurs are ahead of the game. Why is it that so many venture capitalists are seeking to throw millions at 20 year-olds with hardly any experience and most likely still in college, rather than some veteran who has been in the industry for 20+ years?

I’ll tell you. It’s because these young entrepreneurs become so deeply entrenched, so focused, and so knowledgeable about their specific business that their enthusiasm becomes contagious and then what do you know, their ideas now have a following of their own, VCs included.

Most young entrepreneurs have not been jaded by the rough waves of the business world. Sure, many of us can be quite naïve to the harsh realities of failure, but therein lies our true strength. We know that our ideas may indeed fail – the possibility is there – but that doesn’t stop us from pushing on and creating something – anything!

Look at Mark Zukerberg of the popular facebook. Mark had some programming skills and a passion to connect to his fellow classmates at Harvard, what a simple combination. So what did he do? He took the initiative and created facebook and now look at it.

Facebook has become a social networking powerhouse. A monster! It’s on par with the likes of MySpace and Friendster, the two established players who were around when Mark was still borrowing lunch money from mommy.

The point? With a lot of determination, an urge to solve problems, mixed with some fresh innovation, young entrepreneurs can do some major things. BIG things! Things that could have companies such as Google and Microsoft running around in circles in years to come.

I really don’t think that we’ve even scratched the surface when it comes to innovation from us young-ins. This is just the beginning to a story of how young entrepreneurs – many of whom are building businesses from their dorms while taking swigs of beers – are going to change the world as we know it.

All in time… All in time…

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