It’s no longer necessary to be a Harvard grad to get all the cred. In fact, you don’t even have to go to college at all to be successful.
Finally the playing field is being leveled. You don’t have to be a college grad to be successful. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here: Being accepted into an accelerator is a more significant step toward business success than a degree from Harvard.
Microsoft is actually contracting TechStars companies to build their products, so this attitude is even affecting the workplace. Which I predict is really going to work in Microsoft’s favor going forward. Thinking like an accelerator is the style of the future. Big companies need to adapt to survive.
The problem with corporations, in short, is that everything changes when they get big. Big companies come with a lot of problems and hang-ups. Employees get comfy paychecks and pseudo-meaningful titles that they hang onto, fight for, and step on others to maintain or get. As a result, innovation is lost.
From there, companies are then forced to copy ideas from startups or established companies. Then, due to politics, egos, and position control, it takes a long time to get something meaningful accomplished. They don’t have the nimbleness that comes with being a startup, especially one nurtured by accelerators and incubators.
Startups are agile, quick, and either don’t have titles or know titles mean nothing. They focus on getting things done and rapid iteration. That’s it. There’s no junk getting in the way. Startups are there to get things done.
So let’s support our local startups, and the accelerators that make them great. And if you want to be successful in business, avoid the big corporations. Don’t go for that expensive business degree unless you just want it anyway. Just build a startup, and find an accelerator/incubator to light a fire under it!
