Fat and Happy

One of the biggest challenges that start-ups face is inertia. When you hear comments like “things are fine the way they are” or “there is no interest in making a change right now,” entrepreneurs, or any pioneer, will have a very difficult time making headway.

If you're an entrepreneur, I have good news for you. Fat and happy people are in short supply these days.

The world is ready for change. This means that you will be able to accomplish things that were simply not possible before. Isn’t this is one of the reasons that someone like Barack Obama got elected President of the United States?

Entrepreneurs are not only the agents of change, they are the beneficiaries (see creative destruction).

This is not a time to panic. This is the time to act and to take advantage of the great challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Over the past few months, I’ve sensed a subtle but real change in attitude. The ones who are not paralyzed seem more determined than ever. People seem more hungry, more creative, more open minded. They are also more realistic. They face problems with new resolve.

Of course, not all start-ups will do well during tumultuous economic times. But I also believe that it is during times like these, when everyone is NOT fat and happy, that the conditions are most ripe for great new companies – and perhaps great new industries - to come out of nowhere and help change the world.