Idiotopedia: Theme for Next Year = POSSIBLE!

As the holiday season approaches, many people start thinking about what they want for the next year. Making a wish for the new year can be a fun and creative way to set goals and focus on what we plan on achieving. And it's not uncommon for me to have a wish list of what I'd like to receive as gifts this season. Christmas and New Year is a times of celebration and giving, and it's fun to think about what would bring happiness and joy to one's life. Of course, the best present can make someone feel valued and happy, so think about the items that will make them happy.

Well, I can make a wish for the next year by identifying my goals and aspirations. For example, if I want to improve my health, I should think about how I can achieve this; yes, I need to have a balanced diet; this year, I gained weight a lot and was not healthy. So then, how can I help myself accomplish this goal??

Somehow, one of the most effective ways to make a wish for the new year is to consider what we're grateful for. This can help us create a more positive and uplifting outlook. It can also help us achieve our goals and keep moving despite life's challenges. So, as I think about my wishes for the year, I consider what I am grateful for and how I can take advantage to achieve them.?

(Disclaimer: This article is only personal thought and observation, there is no negative intention or recommendation for any individual or organization's activities... and this is not a ChatGPT article LOL)

OK then, what will happen next year? There are many challenges that small businesses face, and it's important to understand them so that I can make better decisions and improve my business dreams. According to many experts (everyone can ask Google or wait... now ChatGPT also can answer that), about 80 percent of startups fail within their first 2 years, while 50 percent reach their five-year milestone.

Over the past years, I've been able to launch several startups into an early-stage tech companies. It's been a challenging journey, and I'm looking forward to the next couple of years ahead as I (hope) to support strong companies and teams.?

But how? I think...

Our mindset should be able to help us manage the various obstacles that come with running a successful business. In reality, entrepreneurship can be a roller coaster ride, as I wrote in many of my previous articles. It involves experiencing the highs and lows of success, and adopting a positive mindset can help us get through these challenging times. Meanwhile, I've always admired Theodore Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena," which he delivered in response to a defeat. He believed that victory came from doing the work. Likewise, when our team members face challenges, they know that everyone can handle them. This is why we're dedicated to making sure that we're able to help individuals succeed while changing the way they work.

I consider myself an introvert when meeting people for the first time (but I can write many things from my mind), and (I believe) building a great team is very important to a startup's success. However, I learned broadly about building strong relationships over the past years of working with incredible individuals. The right people can help develop a more robust company culture and make it easier for me to succeed. Therefore, I look for individuals with various skills and qualities relevant to the business. For instance, I consider people with good communication skills (but NOT talk only) and integrity highly effective at solving problems (indeed, they know how to make money ^^).

One of the traits that I attribute to having past fantastic years is grit. Yes, I will likely face challenges in a high-growth organization, and that's fine. But then, logically, if we never fail, we're not pushing the limits for ourselves or the company. Failure is a great way to learn and grow, and it's why we celebrate it. The key to succeeding is to keep trying.?

As I start a new venture, I must reflect on the past years. Throughout this period, I've experienced many challenging moments, but I've also been able to find some positive outcomes. Setting aside time to reflect on the journey will allow me to see where things went wrong and where they will improve, even though I feel pain and regret about why I made those decisions (contradictive with what I have written above rite? That is the reality)

Easy to say, follow our passion and keep moving forward. To maintain long-term sustainability, I need to take breaks and recover from the many sprints of startup life. That's why I decided to implement it after 6 pm; there is no more meeting in a day. This has allowed me to focus on improving the business's performance and tackling the challenges ahead.

As a startup, we're still in the initial stages of our long journey. However, we're committed to continuous innovation and evaluation, and I expect to see more iterations with everyone on the team over the next few years.

Somehow, losing track of my priorities and goals in my hectic work life is easy. A daily micro-challenge or mindfulness message can help keep me focused on the important things in life. My biggest wishes and dreams for 2023 will likely include starting a new journey or taking on a new creative project. Regardless of the topic, one thing I plan to achieve next year is to become more mindful of work and life balance and consider working hard and playing harder again. LOL

I am aware that 2022 is approaching its close and that some of the goals and aspirations I had at the beginning of the year have already been crushed by the fascination. In almost every profession, I encounter situations where I have to focus on the important things in life while constantly being bombarded with other things that are not. One of the most effective ways to keep myself focused on the important is by taking part in a daily micro-challenge or mindfulness practice... yes, reading and writing as part of my therapy.

OK, then, let's get back to the topic...

For startups, it's important to keep moving forward even after a significant business achievement. So here are the efforts we need to take to capitalize on our success.

Yes, we have defied the odds and made it to this year's target. While we congratulate the team on their achievement, we also know that celebrating is not always easy; even if we share bad news, we need to do it properly. That's why we'll keep pushing to reach our next goal. The drive that propelled us to this point won't let us stop until we've achieved it. There are always more markets and worlds to conquer. Our success will lead to new challenges that will most likely never occur. There's also advice on handling these, such as taking a moment to be proud of all we've accomplished.

After our business has been successful, real work begins to take place to keep up with the changes brought about by the competition. Unfortunately, most business leaders do not have the time to think about innovations. Instead, they tend to focus on the small changes that can be made to their existing business model... it's happening everywhere! One of the most common reasons businesses fail is their linear thinking. This is a sure way to get overwhelmed by our competitors. However, adopting an innovation mindset can help us avoid this. Simple logical case, although BlackBerry was the first to introduce a smart mobile device, it only thought beyond its physical keyboard when adding new features. Google and Apple then developed a new user interface with touchscreen logic and features such as voice and image recognition. But what next in the next decade from now?

Most of us think that the longer we have done something the same way, the harder it is to find new ways to improve ourselves. However, I believe it is possible to develop a more innovative mindset by challenging ourselves. So here are a few initiatives that I always suggest:

• Instead of following the usual path, try looking for new ways to improve new skills and connect with experts. One of the most effective ways is to network with people from other disciplines, such as Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, who decided to open up his patents to other companies so that they could compete in the electric vehicle market. His actions have led to the company becoming one of the most successful companies in the industry, but for how long??
• It would be best if we challenged every addition to our organization that doesn't follow a standard business-as-usual culture. Make sure everyone around us knows this behavior is unacceptable, and reward our team for taking on new ideas. Also, keep a list of all the changes that have been evaluated and labeled as innovative or linear. The rise of Millennials and Gen Zs is the increasing number of new customers in the sustainability industry, forcing the industry to look for new ways to serve them constantly. This could cause the linear patterns that have served us well to become very detrimental.
• If we want to be successful, we need to develop a welcoming mindset that will allow us to take advantage of new opportunities and improve our work. This can be done by establishing a supportive team culture and regular training. After a certain amount of success, it's easy to assume we can just continue doing what we're doing. However, I would never advise people to get into this trap. It's important to remember that change is the norm, and we must face reality; it sucks, but that is life's option.
• A strategic partnership with a key industry player can help us take advantage of various advantages and new perspectives. It can also help us look more broadly for ways to improve the efficiency of our business. The rapid emergence and evolution of the global economy and the internet have created numerous opportunities for small and large businesses. Strategic partnering is also beneficial for both parties.
• Think outside of the box. For customers who want to try something new, start a regular program that involves asking them what they want. This will allow us to gather feedback and improve the design of our business experiment. We can also set goals and measure the success of our program.

Even though we may have the right mindset to think of new ideas, it's important to remember that coming up with such concepts requires a lot of work and commitment. This is why we must start today.

Then how about the ideal working environment?

In only a decade, the different factors that affect hiring, culture, and distribution of workers will drastically change. I often learn about certain business trends from study after study, and some go the way of boring meetings. Others evolve as the world changes, and those require a complete overhaul.

The inner workings of businesses will become more visible to the public once employee opinions and ratings on sites such as Glassdoor and Quora reveal the truth about what it's like to work for them. In addition, transparency can help companies think about how their customers perceive them. For instance, while Goto and Grab are similar, the latter has been beset by their IPO drama.

Even though the purpose may become common, it will not become a commodity. Instead, it will be the businesses that can successfully use it to their advantage that will be able to achieve their goals. For instance, organizations can become more agile and productive by focusing on the tools that can help improve the effectiveness of their workforce.

• Businesses possible to hire talent who live further from urban centers.
• Extremely distributed workforces will evolve the norm.
• Work hubs--hyper-localized WeWork-style co-working spaces--will replace traditional offices and headquarters.
• SMEs will become micro multinationals as they hire and regularly work with international teams.
• Businesses will adopt "work cycles," a process focused on high-speed, project-based work.

These trends happen because the rise of real estate costs in urban areas and the scarcity of skilled talent are some factors driving the demand for more flexible work arrangements. Technology will also play a role in helping people work from anywhere. The rise of tech and the increasing number of jobs in non-urban regions will have a powerful impact on the economy of these regions, which have relied on traditional manufacturing and coal for their livelihood. It will also create a market for talent ideal for businesses looking to hire the best individuals.

Well, relationship degradation can occur if too much work is done remotely. Since businesses have to learn to accommodate different work hours, they must also ensure that teams can work together in person. Even bringing an entire team together once a year can help facilitate great work.

Based on my corporate experiences, the average tenure of an Indonesian worker will drop to less than 3 years, with Jakarta, as a big metropolis, experiencing a decline of as low as 2 years. Because of this, businesses will start to pay more for recruiting and bonuses. If we can keep our employees, we should consider it, but the cost of doing so will eventually decline due to the increasing trend toward shorter tenure. This will make it harder for businesses to attract and retain employees.

Work cycles can help companies foster high productivity and engagement, as workers can quickly see how their efforts affect them. But unfortunately, they also have to deal with the knowledge employees bring with them. This is why culture is so important, as it determines whether an individual will accept another job. In addition, employees have to shoulder the burden of responsibility when it comes to their development due to the lack of company guidance and support... sounds familiar from what I have heard from my ex-colleagues. Once the business had the opportunity to provide individuals with the skills and leadership support they would need to succeed. However, as people move from one role to another, they will not have the same level of access to these resources.

Nevertheless, I think there is an opportunity for businesses to fill this need. As we try to accommodate these changes, be aware that many factors go into making a successful transition, such as the need to change attitudes and the logistics of the business. Although none of these will be perfect, the ones who can overcome these obstacles will be the ones who are willing to learn from their mistakes and improve their performance.

Anyway, let's get back to my dream... as I have my passion for building real impact investment ecosystems, what next, then?

Well, there is a lot of talk about impact investing in the real world. But, it can be challenging to step. As everyone knows, tech stocks are down in the current market situation, and the markets are volatile. Also, venture capital is slowing down; everyone said, "winter is coming." Startups are laying off workers and freezing hiring. This is happening all around the world. As businesses prepare for a recession's potential impact, sustainability and impact investing can help them innovate and make a difference in people's lives. Despite the various factors that affect the world, many impact investors are still focused on only their own goals. This is not the case for all investors. They should be investing in projects that genuinely focus on improving the world. Thus, from my observation of investors who want to do good and do well:

• Digitize fields that need to be faster to adopt. For instance, transportation and energy industries still rely on manual filing systems and spreadsheets. With that in mind, impact investors should consider investing in software and applications to help them bring their public and corporate data online. I know that working capital is vital to any business' operations, but the traditional underwriting process has largely bogged it down. This process can take too long and lead to high costs and predatory lenders. Through deep tech like AI, lenders can improve their efficiency and reduce risk by minimizing the impact of their decisions on borrowers. They can also monitor their impact on people and the ROI through real-time feedback.
• As far as I understand, impact investors are looking for businesses with built-in measurement systems for financial technology. This industry is a multi-billion (or even more) dollar sector ripe for opportunity, but it is still in its early stages of development. There is a massive wave of startups promising to deliver scalable solutions built on top of existing infrastructure. There can be no progress without data that shows the outcomes of impact investments and the number of communities that have been helped. Thus, my approach to startup founders; is that a good way to assess the design-build and user experience of their products or solutions is by asking them to demo their innovation. This will allow them to see how they can measure their impact.
• Identifying the areas of unmet need that affect different demographics and communities can help make a difference. As the global economy continues to struggle, we need to recognize the vital role investing in the future can play in helping lift people out of poverty and improve the quality of life for all. There is still much work to be done to transform how tech is created to create societal value. We need investors who are committed to doing it with dignity. Then, for impact investors, startups must address real-world issues such as climate change, education, and food security. They should also look for companies addressing end-user's needs by lowering their costs. They aim to democratize the use of advanced technologies and big data, which can help people improve their lives. To do so, we are searching for businesses committed to developing digital solutions to improve people's lives.
• Entrepreneurship should be supported and built on a mission-driven foundation. Moreover, it should be done in a manner that enables everyone to participate in the financial system. This is done through the establishment of models of investing that are geared toward making the financial system more inclusive.

In practice, within Jawara Ventures, we are applying a simple mindset to selecting startups and causes to invest in that:

• Enhance the quality of life for diverse ecosystems.
• Use the latest technology in some of the oldest or most systemic situations.
• Finding real founders with sustainable business models that can deliver long-term social and economic benefits is a must.

Sustainable and impact investors should consider the bottom line and the factors contributing to its success. This is why changing the narrative about how positive impact and growth can coexist is essential. With the rise of fintech, it's now possible to see how innovation and financial operations can work together. If financial services become more mainstream in enabling impact investing, we can fund startup businesses delivering real social impact.

Therefore, what will be the following year's evolution?

I think a startup's digital transformation strategy must be built on a human-centered foundation. This can help employees become more effective and efficient. Digital transformation is a promising business make to their customers and employees to transform their operations and deliver new value. Unfortunately, many organizations have not been able to achieve this due to the lack of resources and people to implement effective digital transformation programs. Thus, due to the rapid emergence and evolution of new technologies, employees are more likely to feel burned out and uninspired to work for businesses. In addition, the increasing number of external threats, such as cybersecurity and data privacy, has made it harder for organizations to retain and attract talent.

The rapid emergence and evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic (or even other new threats... who knows?) may have caused many businesses to jump ahead of their digital transformation efforts. Still, many needed more time to be ready for this shift. Therefore, in addition to having the necessary skills to handle new technologies, employees also need to be knowledgeable about the various aspects of digital transformation. Furthermore, new business practices incorporating deep tech like AI into processes have limited their effectiveness. Therefore, regardless of the positive effects of new technology, it can also cause headaches for companies. Some common issues encountered when implementing new technology include hidden expenses, failure to implement features, and pain in the implementation process.

In closing this wishful thinking article, I would like to share a reminder to set goals and focus on gratitude; it can also be helpful to think about the values important to us. What do we believe in and want to stand for? How can we use our values to guide our wishes for the next year? By aligning our desires with our values, we can create a sense of purpose and meaning that will help us stay motivated and focused. Finally, once we have made our wish for the next year, we must take action to make it a reality. This might mean setting specific goals, creating a plan, or taking small daily steps to move closer to our wishes. Whatever our desire may be, remember to stay positive and believe in ourselves. We can make our wishes for the next year come true with hard work and determination. Thus, happy season's greetings and (early) new year wishes, and enjoy the journey because the future is already here, just not evenly distributed. Stay happy, healthy, and sane...

Carpediem!

(see you in 2023)