Steve Jurvetson on Entrepreneurship

Steve Jurvetson, managing director for the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, says that there is a common human desire that ties philanthropy, raising families, creating art and literature, and entrepreneurship together. Stephen Covey talks about it. It is the desire to create a legacy — something that will last beyond our short time here on earth.

Successful entrepreneurs are rarely lone rangers, but more often come in dynamic duos, so Jurvetson recommends that students who are hopeful entrepreneurs pay close attention to their classmates — keeping an eye out for uniqueness, persistence, and infectious enthusiasm among their peers. After all, his own classmate Jim Yang went on to start up Yahoo! Most importantly though, he says to look for ways you can harness what you’ve learned from past experiences in new and perhaps unfamiliar territory. How can you apply the things you learned from Chem 105 to starting a new side business, for instance?

That is you shouldn’t let job descriptions discourage you when you’re looking for something new — if you’ve accumulated experience across many different job types it will lend itself to being a flexible team-worker in different settings even if you haven’t worked in that field before. And for students, experience leading teams successfully in your academic career will translate well into being a fair and effective leader in business. You take the lessons you learn, and just apply them in a new setting.

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The New Mecca for Dreamers

“I don’t know if there is another place on the planet where people are so full of possibility – whether it be the possibility of reinventing themselves by a change in thinking…or body…or starting a business with which they expect to change the world and become rich.”

— Ron Davison

I LOVE this article by Ron Davison! The Bay Area and the Reinvention of Self.

I think I love Ron’s musings about Silicon Valley and the Bay Area because they reflect my own. I am SO drawn to that region because of the tremendous number of creative people! It is a hotbed for startups, entrepreneurs, and young-at-heart companies–the kind I love, that toss out the traditional rules! There seems to be (at least a bit) more sense of collaboration as opposed to competition. People are less afraid of failure. They are more passionate about their ideas, and doing whatever is necessary to make them become reality! These are not people who give up easily.

And it’s not to say that the region is the only one with determined, creative professionals. I think what actually happens is that those sorts of people are attracted from all over the world to come and work together in this centralized area. Actually, I KNOW this is the case. When I’ve visited Stanford, and interviewed with small companies down there, I meet people from all around the globe. It is a creative center. Take a minute to read Ron’s thoughts as he visits Silicon Valley.

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I want to change society…

I want to be a revolutionary. I want to make this world a better place for my future children. I made the conscious decision some time ago that I don’t want to live a normal life—I don’t want to bury my head in the sand and I don’t want to be apathetic. I want to confront the problems and I want to participate in change. I have spent the last few years searching for ways in which I can accomplish this goal and ways I can live my life to best reflect these values…and though my ideas and values may change over time, I, like many young Gen-Y professionals, am blessed to have been given the health, education, and affluence that I have. It is our responsibility to make the most out of life and explore our full potential!

Tim Sanders says that “Happiness is like a ray of light that sits just beyond the dark clouds of suffering. When those clouds part our joy shines through. We only get glimpses of this light because there is so much suffering in our lives.” Sanders believes that our greatest joy and energy comes from participating in the end of suffering and in facilitating happiness for others. On that note, here are a few of my beliefs at this point in my life:

  • Our general attitude here in the U.S. is too self-centered, too greedy, and too busy
  • We make the fallacious assumption that we can impose our societal values on other groups of people without first striving to understand those people
  • Decades of slow transition have blinded us from recognizing trespasses to our own freedom and democracy
  • War and killing are an inhumane means to get what we want
  • We tend to have selective hearing only to the suffering of those who it benefits us to help
  • Our consumer mindset has distanced us from the means of production for both food and goods
  • Our culture of debt is setting us up for economic failure
  • We have an unacceptable level of dependence on oil as an energy source
  • Our world is in trouble if we don’t do something to stop and reverse the effects of global warming—and we have nowhere else to live

And here are some of the things that I strongly advocate based on those beliefs:

  • Government accountability
  • Corporate social responsibility
  • Sustainable business practices
  • International business development and open international diplomacy
  • Overseas travel and cultural learning
  • Awareness of humanitarian causes worldwide
  • Living a sustainable life
  • Redesigning infrastructure to support renewable energies

From A Mission Statement that rocks: The End of Suffering:

It is my informed opinion that the most effective leaders in the world focus efforts towards the end of suffering. They are first and foremost happy and proactive in defending that happiness. They are sensitive to others’ feelings and possess a connected form of emotional intelligence.

After reading Tim Sanders’ words, I am motivated to develop a definitive mission statement and make a public statement of some of my life goals. Although I do not know where this life will take me, I aim to take action to make my above values reality, and to live my life in accordance with them. My goals: to spend the next 5 years gaining professional experience and cultivating strong contacts in relevant industries; to apply to the Stanford Graduate School of Business; to research in business, environment, and sustainability; and to start my own social venture or green company.

Almost everything I share on this blog is related to my above values. I want to sincerely thank those of you who have consistently returned to read my thoughts on these issues and to check out valuable information that I try to pass along. I also want to ask you to spread the word about this blog to other individuals who you think share similar ideals. And most importantly, I would like to ask my readers to help support me in my mission and to help hold me accountable to my goals.

I will continue to write here at Thrilling Heroics about my professional, educational and entrepreneurial experience. I encourage you to follow along with me through the journey and offer your own thoughts and opinions along the way. In addition to following my journey, I also want to write this blog to encourage others to make a similar journey. Let me know if you work or study in these areas, and what your thoughts are on my newly-adopted mission!

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