Startup Gene Isolated

Turns out it’s everywhere….

I was intrigued to learn that a group of geneticists in London UK had isolated the ‘entrepreneur gene’. Last year they identified the startup gene, the genetic trait that predisposes people like McClure, Bezos, Feld and others to refuse the status quo and take the leap into startup life.

They took their research one step further by randomly testing individuals in various geographic locations for the gene, in an attempt to identify where the greatest pockets of entrepreneurship potential exist. They tested in hotbeds of startup life, Silicon Valley, Boston, New York, London UK, even Toronto, Vancouver, and Kitchener-Waterloo.

Unfortunately what they learned was that the results were consistent across all geographies. In other words, none of us have more potential than the next based on geography.

“Although innate talent exists, it does so everywhere”, Gold Mine Effect

Clearly there is no startup gene, that I’m aware of, and I made the above story up. The point is just that if you live outside of our so-called startup centers, it doesn’t mean you lack what it takes to create a successful business or startup scene. Living in those locations doesn’t predispose you to success anymore than living in Canada means you’ll play in the NHL.

What’s more important is your motivation and drive, the ‘why’ of what you’re tackling. What’s driving you? Why are you focused on this more than the next person? You certainly have to be talented but that’s table stakes.

“Talent is the access ticket to the game, though it’s not the decisive factor”, Gold Mine Effect

Will you have to work harder to be an NHL’er if you live in California? Likely but it’s more than achievable.

There is innate startup talent in every city, look around you and get to work cultivating and leveraging that talent in every way you can, including your own!

“Nothing you can do — talking, thinking, reading, imagining — is more effective in building skill than executing the action”, The Talent Code

PS. This belief system is a key motivator for what we’re building at Startupify.Me. We believe there is unlocked startup talent everywhere that simply needs some cultivating.