Entrepreunership Revisted: Collaborate or Die

Hello Again LinkedIn Family,

Today I'd like to provide a very simple message to entrepreneurs caught in the start-up grind,

"Collaborate...or Die"

Of course I don't mean this in the literal sense but more so in reference to the hopes and dreams that your start-up will be successful without ample assistance and guidance from a diverse array of entrepreneurs who are in a similar position and share common synergies. We as a collective have to stop being overly dependent on the ideology of the current system and the notion that investors are our safe haven. Accelerators, incubators and investor offerings are positioned for a very select few, not necessary because they are elite but more so because they have higher grade connections and fit a less risky profile. This is nothing to resent or lose moral over, within the start-up community there are a large number of highly talented and passionate entrepreneurs who are not being accepted and can be of use to one another. There is really only one main problem, we simply do not collaborate enough with other early stage start-ups that can be ideal partners to our own businesses. Start-ups building start-ups is a great alternative to the current infrastructure and can lead to lower overhead costs while extending the reach of an audience by tapping into an affiliates consumer base. Setting up alliances can provide our first customers and give us leverage in numbers by presenting a faction of start-ups that solve a unique challenge independently but assist each other with common goals.

We operate in a capitalist based system, where those that possess the capital "support" start-ups by buying equity as an investment. It's not so much about innovation or changing the world as it is in fulfilling a single purpose - making more money. This is why over having a great idea, Angels and VC's would rather invest in companies that display high growth and profit margins because of the reduced risk and scalability. Though we are all in business to make money, for the most part as entrepreneurs we are very much connected to "how" and "why", if this wasn't the case our ambition would be safer kept in other career paths instead of focusing on forging our own way. By the cumulative knowledge absorbed from the application of our experiences we can develop a platform that will reinforce the growth of start-ups by working together, sharing techniques & resources, and generally affirming the exercise of new ideas rather than negatively critiquing them to the grave. It's been expressed time and time again, nobody will feel the same way about a dream as the person with the vision, I don't hold that to be entirely true - passion is passion and we are relatives of the same struggle so it is what connects us. There is no excuse not to use this being we may be the only ones that truly understand each other and knows what it like believing in something everyone else around you can not see. While reading I want you to think about what kind of changes can be seen in our community, in our world, if like minded individuals collaborated with a common purpose in mind rather than choosing conformity in order to walk down a narrow path seeking funding or expert advice. Realize, if an "expert" was able to see what you do, then it's highly likely they would have done it already themselves. Don't carry absolution in the words of others especially when your purpose is to impact change, few see change objectively and will be able to provide an impartial response to the validity of your ambition. So far, most entrepreneurs that I have come across build their start-up with their team and aim to get enough traction to get the confirmation of their relevance from these kind of figures that host the programs that are supposed to support growth.  This process has been the blueprint for so many people because "they" (the experts) say its the best way to build your start-up. Run lean until you reach a point of growth where others will see your potential and then you should give them a quarter of your business for money to grow even more! Maybe I'm just an unconventional thinker but in my opinion that strategy is the predominant reasons 90% of start-ups fail. Not having capital and exposure is a bi-product of trying to follow this path rather than unifying at an early level to build the next wave of businesses. This "process" is also entirely too restrictive and suffocates entrepreneurship more than enabling it, entrepreneurs are not only manufactured from prestigious universities and great ideas don't just come from suburban America. If we switch the focus from pushing to gain an investment to collaboration it forces to expand the playing field and cultivate new ideas by principle, not image. We over Me isn't about superficiality or ego, it's about true entrepreneurship and people that care about creating a positive change. 

Ideally what percentage of entrepreneurs do you think actually get accepted to these accelerator programs or get funded out of those that apply? The reality is heartbreaking when you think about the time, effort and sacrifice people put in to fit the criteria to be eligible to even apply and stands as one of the reasons people with good ideas don't even try. Fact is most VCs like to invest in ventures after the potential has been proven and the risk alleviated as much as possible. These entities are not in play as an outlet to help you reach your dreams, they are very much in the business of making money and it's hazardous to let your optimism disorient that fact. In the first quarter of 2012, only three percent of VC funding went to start-ups according to Forbes. These figures do not include the minority and women demographic breakdown- those numbers are abysmal and there are far too few actions being taken to re-mediate the problem because the system works to an investor's advantage. Invest in the creme de la creme of start-ups, it's not a generous gesture of supporting the start-up community, it's a business decision to increase wealth. As a dreamer you should know that, so after you feel you've done everything you can possibly do to make your start-up successful consider how working together with early stage start-ups can be a solution. Your strength can be the key to someone else's weakness and the antidote to relying on the relationships that would like to discourage dreams rather than reward them. We've seen how far greed and selfishness has gotten us, maybe a change dependent on sharing is the cure we need.  

Together I believe we can break the market - "Collaborate or Die"