Startup Community

“I’m 46 now and 10 years ago I was too old to be making decisions on behalf of young people. You need to super encourage and get enthusiastic, highly skilled young people and let them go. Don’t give them any boundaries.”
If I said this I be criticised for not telling my real age and making ridiculous suggestions. The above quote was made last week by former Rockhamptonite, Steve Baxter.
Steve is a very successful businessman and a ‘shark’ in the entrepreneurial financier TV show, Shark Tank. He is also passionate about entrepreneurialism, expressing strong views on what is needed to champion it and through River City Lab’s Brisbane puts those views into action.
Last week about 300 people in the region got to listen to Steve’s and 4 other successful Queensland entrepreneur’s thoughts on entrepreneurialism and start-up’s.
All who attended I believe left empowered, motivated, or reinvigorated; but what happens now?
We can hope that some from the audience left inspired enough to pursue their enterprising ideas. Even Steve admits though it’s a numbers game, you need to be talking to thousands to see significant outcomes.
Will 1% of the 300 who attended commence a start-up? If 3 do start, how many will survive and replicate?
Thus is all the hype of last week’s 10 locations in 4 days show and tell sessions really beneficial.
Yes, especially if 300 people now play an active part in Central Queensland start-up eco-system.
The primary aim of the tour was to inspire more people to start their enterprise ideas. A secondary objective is to get more people to be involved by offering support.
Start-up hubs are great, but the essential element in developing a successful start-up eco-system is people. People to bounce ideas off, people to help with funding, people that understand what developing a start-up involves, people who freely offer professional advice, people who are role models, people who super encourage and get enthusiastic, highly skilled young people and let them go for it; that’s what makes a start-up eco-system successful.
To those who attended the sessions in Emerald, Yeppoon and Rockhampton welcome to the CQ Start-up eco-system.
What happens now after the Queensland Chief Entrepreneurs tour is in your hands; 300 people can be the impetus for community change.
We need CQ to change and be identified as a ‘Can Do’ region, that nurtures and attracts start-up’s. If you attended the sessions last week be part of the drive for community change, a community that views entrepreneurs positively, a community that goes out of its way to support start-up’s, a community that wants and offers boundary-less opportunities to retain our youth. Without you, pro-active people, the chances for start-up’s to successfully develop in our region is severely constricted.
Like the Startup Capricorn Facebook page to see ways to get involved.