“I’ve always liked building things. I don’t know why, maybe because I feel like I’m making something out of nothing. When I was young, I created forts out of branches and dirt, made bows and arrows with bits of bamboo, and built tents with worn out blankets. These days, I build through a digital medium. Today, people get their entertainment from YouTube and Netflix, stay in touch with friends and family via Facebook and Skype, figure out directions using Google Maps, or get around with Uber. All of these things have one thing in common: they were built by startups.
Startups are penetrating every part of the economy, reshaping entire industries. Amazon dominates the book industry, controlling 65% of all new book purchases. Airbnb provides over 1 million homes, and add 20,000 more every week. YouTube reaches more people than any cable network. WhatsApp users send 7.2 trillion messages each year, compared to 7.5 trillion text messages per year across the entire global telecommunications industry. Startups give us an unprecedented opportunity to touch millions of lives in a meaningful way.
Growing up, you assume the world is the way it is and how it should be. But that’s a really limiting mindset. If you notice an inconvenience while doing something, try to think of a solution that can help people facing the same problem. Everything around you was made by people that weren’t necessarily any smarter than you, and you can build your own things that change and influence other people’s lives.”
