Learning to Survive

Startups and people have some things in common. Both look for attention, both need to take risks and both principal activity is learning. Not to mention that people and startups both were supposed to die in 2000.

“Learning is the most important activity that startups, but also we humans and other creatures, do.”

Why is that?

If you don’t learn, you don’t survive. Living organisms have evolved by a Darwinian process mainly genetically (you know: mutation, diversity, competition, selection…) but also by a parallel mechanism, less known, by which certain types of non-genetic information is shared and passed to the offspring. These pieces of information are called “memes” (in reference to genes) and together form what is known as cultural evolution. Nurturing is an activity that increases opportunities of an individual to succeed. In some species, like our own, the information you receive from your parents could be more important than your genes. Humans have one of the greatest parental investment, lactation, nurturing, and protecting offspring. Our culture is extraordinary big, and very hard to teach. And that has an unexpected positive effect, that it leaves great room for improvement.
Ok, it’s clear that if you don’t learn you are lost, but what about startups? Unlike living beings who deal with finding a mate and reproduce, these companies are focused on finding a business model for their vision. And this takes much of its efforts. Inquiring and experimenting, to discover and validate, their hypothesis.
But this doesn’t prove anything, it’s kind of evident that it is important to learn, but why is it the most important activity you do?

Back to the metaphor, in an unchanging environment, there would probably be no evolution. The greater the change in the conditions, the bigger the pressure and competition to survive. And in these situations is when singular characteristics can make a difference, if you could change your behavior, experiment and find a solution, it would be probably cheaper than waiting for a mutation to help you. Startups are by definition happy mutations looking to outlive their competence. Their learning capacity will multiply their chances of success.

At Spines we embrace learning as a company and as people. If you too think that learning is as important as we do, stay tuned because we are going to help you.

Pablo Jimeno is CEO of Spines, a startup building a tool to help you learn more.