No exits

Creating a business made to last

The startup economy is driven by future valuations and exits. Young businesses are usually built with the intent to sell with the hoping of getting a high return on investment.

Most startups fail. Even those that succeeded big have fallen — or are struggling to keep up. Think about: myspace. turntablefm. flickr.

How many of the services you use now will you use in 10, 20, 50 years time?

I want to build a business that outlasts me, that lives on for centuries.

The company I’m building is called Kitchen — it’s a school for ambitious leaders who want to build businesses that are going to change the world.

Kitchen isn’t a startup or a venture: it’s a people business, it’s a culture business.

I want to create a small business that scales. My inspiration comes from the restauranteurs, hotel owners, local farmers. Folks building from a craft, a love, a passion.

This isn’t to say entrepreneurs with the intention to sell don’t think long-term but the mentality of an entrepreneur building a business that’s made to exit versus one that’s made to sustain on its own leads to different results.

I want to build business that helps create a fundamental positive change in society. I want to build a school that inspires people to become brave, creative and socially minded business leaders.

For me there are no exits. Positive social impact is a lifelong commitment.

Melissa Andrada (@melissaandrada) heads up Kitchen from Wolff Olins, a school for ambitious leaders who want to build businesses that change the world