We need Elon Musk much more than he needs us

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Heroes are not created equal. Most people recognize the name Sully Sullenberger, but far fewer can tell you what Alan Turing did during World War II.

Fewer still could tell you that Turing was chemically castrated because he was gay, and committed suicide shortly thereafter. But thanks for bringing one of the most horrifying wars in history to an abrupt end, I guess?

Society isn’t always kind to its heroes. We ask for an ill-defined yet idealized sort of perfection, and when our heroes fall short, we make sure they fall twice as hard.

Some might write this phenomenon off as a minor inconvenience for the rich, successful or famous, but times have changed. The human costs of war pale in comparison to the battles humanity will face in the years to come.

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A 15-year study of 5,000 entrepreneurs finally answers the question: Is it better to quit your day job or keep it?

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Data doesn’t lie.

There is a sexy image of an entrepreneur as someone toiling away in a garage, tinkering full time on their new venture, or joyously yet feverishly staying up until 3 a.m. working on their latest innovation or iteration of their product.

We love to celebrate these fantasy risk-takers and breakthrough-makers, ones who put it all on the line and then cash in big.

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Amazon is recruiting people to start delivery businesses. Here’s why I think some people could get rich

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There’s risk in any business. But if you asked me to invest in a business with these built-in advantages, I’d certainly listen.

I know a lot of people who have made a ton of money on Amazon.

Now, Amazon says it wants to recruit entrepreneurs to build a national network of small, independent delivery companies–driving leased vans with Amazon branding. If you’ve aspired to start your own business, and you have leadership ability and access to a relatively small amount of capital, it could be well worth looking at.

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Steve Blank: The unexpected reason why people start their own companies

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A controversial study suggests that people become entrepreneurs because they realize they’re worth more than their resumes.

If you asked me why I gravitated to startups rather than work in a large company I would have answered at various times: “I want to be my own boss,” “I love risk,” “I want flexible work hours,” “I want to work on tough problems that matter,” “I have a vision and want to see it through,” “I saw a better opportunity and grabbed it. …”

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Here’s how old you should be when you start a company, according to science. (It’s not what you think)

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The National Bureau of Economic Research used Census data to find the average age of super-successful founders.

Company founders can be as young as in their teens or as old as in their 80s. But is there an ideal age you should be when you start a company? It turns out there is, and it’s older than you may think.

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Over half of millennials say they’d love to start their own company

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Around 49% of millennials said they plan to start their own company within the next three years, while 62% of them reported having their ideal company “that they would love to start,” found America’s SBDC Network and the Center for Generational Kinetics in a study. The researchers considered a small business “an independently owned and operated company that employs fewer than 500 people.”

Those were just two findings, but there were many others across generations.

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The future of coworking for women entrepreneurs and freelancers

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You have probably heard of or have worked at a coworking space if you are an entrepreneur or freelancer. It was in 2005 when Brad Neurberg launched the first co-working space in San Francisco at Spiral Muse to support community and structure within the freedom of working for yourself. Since then, the concept has exploded on the entrepreneurial culture.

If you’re looking for a refreshing new coworking community to join, check out the futurist tech community at the DaVinci Institute in Westminster, CO.

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Why managing cashflow is critical for the survival of your startup

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Managing cashflow and burn rate is more critical to your business success than having the right idea and the right product.

A basic survival metric for every startup is cashflow. Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a brick wall. Don’t wait until you are almost out of cash before managing every dollar spent, or looking for the next refueling from investors. Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young.

 

 

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Beware, fellow plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming: Nick Hanauer

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Nick Hanauer, venture capitalist and author

An unrepentant capitalist and rich guy, Nick Hanauer has something to say to his fellow plutocrats: Wake up! Growing inequality is about to push our societies into conditions resembling pre-revolutionary France. Hear his argument about why a dramatic increase in minimum wage could grow the middle class, deliver economic prosperity … and prevent a revolution. (Video)

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Where the jobs of the future are and how to land one

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The fastest growing jobs are in user experience design, iOS and Android development, and business intelligence.

Designer, developer, and data scientist are some of the jobs that are predicted to be in-demand jobs in the coming year. How to land one of those jobs may not be the way you think.

 

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