Total Rethink

8Getting Taken Seriously

“When the whole world is silent even one voice becomes powerful.”

—Malala Yousafzai

Just about everyone has a bright idea from time to time for an invention that they are sure will make them a fortune. You hear the theories being expounded all the time if you spend enough evenings hanging around in bars (not a pastime I would recommend to anyone who actually wants to get something achieved), but very few people are then able to take that idea and make it a reality, particularly if it is potentially disruptive and will meet with resistance from the established industry that it is likely to disrupt. Any creative entrepreneur who wants to achieve anything concrete needs to be able to execute their ideas effectively or, more often, to find someone to work with who is skilled in execution.

When you are young and inexperienced it is hard to convince older, “wiser” heads that they should invest in your untried and revolutionary ideas until you have a track record of success – but how do you achieve that track record if no one will buy into your ideas?

It's all too easy for a rich and powerful industry to crush an individual who puts forward an idea which they believe might endanger their revenue stream and their profits in the short term, particularly if that industry operates as a monopoly or near-monopoly. If entrepreneurs want to turn their ideas into reality they have to prove to potential investors and potential employers that they can be taken seriously ...