I was recently asked to be a judge at a local entrepreneur contest inspired by the TV show “Shark Tank”. The contest participants were students at Las Positas Community College, enrolled in the Business & Entrepreneurship program. Here are four of my takeaways after that half day experience:
1. The future is in good hands. Relax, my friends. Yes, the challenges we face today (global, national, and local) are daunting, yet the young professionals and youth of today have the courage, drive, and creativity to confront these formidable challenges.
2. Barriers to Software Innovation are simply gone. We all know how easy it is to create software products (e.g. apps). The developer languages and tools we have today are making software development easier, cheaper, and more accessible than ever before.
3. Barriers to Collaboration have dropped. When did the Internet hit its stride? There are many answers to this question, but in this context the Internet hit its stride when barriers to collaboration dropped. Many participants in the contest were actively working with others in different parts of the world. The entrepreneurs of today have access to talent and knowledge on a global scale…and they are already experts at finding it and using it.
4. Barriers to Prototyping are lower than ever. Forget what you used to know about 3D Printing…this technology revolution is just getting started. It promises to usher in an era where rapid prototyping allows ideas to be explored and refined much earlier (and cheaper) in the design process than ever before.
As the pace of progress continues to accelerate around the world, it is inspiring and comforting to know that young people have the ability to not just cope with the world, but to shape it.
May you dream bigger, reach higher, and achieve more!
Coach Alay
The Winning Edge 