If Entrepreneurship Were An Olympic Sport

While Silicon Valley often hogs the spotlight in the tech world, a small Baltic nation has quietly emerged as a global innovation powerhouse. With a population smaller than New York City, it boasts a disproportionate number of successful startups.

Have you heard of Skype? Do you know where it was founded? If you said, Estonia, you were right. You might be thinking, "Estonia, where's that?" It's a small country in Northern Europe that used to be a part of the Soviet Union. It gained its independence in 1992 and they've gone from Soviet satellite to startup superstar in the blink of an eye. How'd they do it?

Estonia didn't just get lucky. They started with a blank slate.?Emerging from the shadow of Soviet rule, Estonia faced significant challenges in rebuilding its economy. They focused on education and teaching kids how to think like entrepreneurs from day one. They spent big on digital infrastructure that's the envy of the world. And they focused on creating an environment where ideas could thrive.

Skype’s success served as a catalyst, inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs and igniting the spark of innovation in Estonia. It demonstrated that even a small, relatively unknown country could produce a global tech giant.

Let's stop thinking about startups as solo hero journeys. It's a team sport and a contact sport. It takes a local and national effort to win medals. Estonia gets it.?

What can you do to help a local entrepreneur in your community win Gold? The world is watching. Let's make them proud.

Stay safe. Stay strong. Stay curious.