The power of entrepreneurship: An opportunity to change the world
The entire world is dependent on the creation of societies where everyone feels empowered to create, innovate, and be open about their ideas.
Many of us have the dream of starting a company: Perhaps you have been told from an early age that you have remarkably many good ideas, or perhaps you have had experiences that made you think “this problem could surely be solved better.” A great idea can come from many places — and strike a variety of people. It is certain that people’s everyday experiences often provide them with great insight on what makes a good idea, and how it should be shaped to fit the need.
But what is the power of entrepreneurship, anyway?
So many things have already been invented: It is easy to think we have come up with the best ideas already. So why should people dedicate themselves to making solutions to everyday problems many of us experience? Surely, there are already people working on these same ideas somewhere? And yes, while it might be that your idea already exists in the mind of someone else too, it is unlikely they have the exact same idea. Instead, chances are you could find a great collaborator or co-founder by speaking up about your idea. And in the process, you might come up with a solution that really will change lives not only in Norway, but abroad too. The power of entrepreneurship is the power to create change for tomorrow’s society — making innovations and products that can create a better world for all of us.
But although he does not regret making that decision, it has definitely provided him with some challenging life experiences.
An ecosystem of diverse ideas
The ‘everyday rut’ of working at your regular job week after week — year after year — will soon enough feel boring. Where are the exciting thrills, the ambitions, the achievements? However: If you decide on starting your own company, you will quickly have all your business talents tested.
In essence, creating your own company is about creating something that matters to you. If you don’t put in the effort to make your grand vision happen, it is unlikely someone else will.
In a previous article about Founder Challenge, Knut Wien — the Chief Visionary Officer of Startup Norway — told the story about how he finally decided on becoming an entrepreneur.
I am much more motivated for ‘putting in the work’ necessary when I do it for my own startup . Today, after 5 years of ‘going for it’ and starting full-time on my side hustle, we are 20 super skilled people at the company. We have plenty of possibilities and lots of challenges. And even though I often cry in frustration — as founders of growth companies often do — I also scream with excitement. My job is about helping founders and startups succeed, and with our new program Founders Challenge we want to help everyone who has a good idea. The ambition is to help them get started on their startup, in a proper and structured way, says Wien.
In the future, it is likely that many more of us will be founders. Innovation is the future, but it is also the present. The entire world is dependent on the creation of societies where everyone feels empowered to create, innovate, and be open about their ideas. The life experiences and troubles of a billionaire are unlikely to be the same as those of a student from an immigrant family, or a mother who struggles to make ends meet. The point is, we need founders and entrepreneurs from all walks of life — people from all areas of society. Your life experience and point of view is made visible through what you want to create. The Founder Challenge program challenges everyone to come forward with their ideas: The purpose of the program is to get ideas validated by professionals in the field, who can provide advice and guidance on the road ahead.
Recently, Startup Norway launched a new program: Founder Challenge. The program’s ambition is to challenge people who up until now haven’t dared to take the decisive step towards becoming founders. Because yes — the road of entrepreneurship is potentially a road full of uncertainty and risks. With Founder Challenge, we want to provide a path to success for those of us with an unfulfilled dream of entrepreneurship.
The program will serve two purposes for its participants:
- We will provide resources and support to develop and validate your business idea, to see if it is has potential and is worth pursuing
- We will help you develop a personalised plan to get started, whether that is today, or perhaps in a year. This will help guide you on the next steps you should take to continue developing your business idea further.
The whole Startup Norway team is excited to help you get started. Starting is hard, so let’s do it together.
