The pandemic continues its unrelenting disruption of the socio-political and economic orders around the globe with the results leading to significant and long lasting devastation. There is increasing worry about the potential for increased bankruptcies, joblessness and homelessness once government funded rescue programs end.
What we, as a society, are seeing is a significant reduction in the number and diversity of opportunities available to individuals, organizations and governments. While there are many who argue that difficulties can be overcome and the best will succeed no matter what, the reality is completely different.
The old stereotype that brilliant ideas and concepts are borne from little to no resources is not completely false but it hides a minimum floor for the stereotype to work. Yes, when budgets are reduced and timelines compressed, sometimes an individual or a team can produce much better ideas and concepts than with an unlimited budget. However, if the budget and timelines are constrained to such a degree as to create conditions that are detrimental to the maintenance and growth of an individual or a team, then it is unrealistic to expect brilliance in the face of deprivation.
If an individual is unable to feed themselves or their loved ones due to financial need or if a team has to spend countless hours scrambling for tools and material to build their concept or idea, it is virtually impossible to for an individual or a team to produce revolutionary work. The physical strain and mental exhaustion from a deprived state precludes any potential for brilliance or breakthrough.
The unfortunate reality is that the pandemic has exposed how many individuals, businesses and organizations are on the cusp of failure through no fault of their own. The socio-political and economic underpinnings of society are already being challenged by automation, technology and new business models causing human labor to lose its primacy. For all the millions that society has managed to lift out of poverty over the past several decades, there are untold millions who are barely sustaining their current lifestyle.
Barely keeping above water is no way to live and no way to grow. If the pandemic has taught society one thing, it is the fact that in order for society to thrive, we need all members of society to thrive. Thriving is not being able to eek out a meagre existence. Thriving is the ability to achieve goals and dreams in one’s lifetime and to take risks to pursue opportunities that don’t come once in a lifetime but happen with some degree of consistency.
Many may argue that the previous statement that opportunities should happen with some degree of consistency is unrealistic. The reality is that it already occurs to a sizeable minority of the population. Whether it is being accepted to the right educational institution at an early age to finding the right first job to meeting an angel investor at the most opportune time, it does happen. What we need to do though is ensure that instead of a sizeable minority of the population benefiting from opportunities that a sizeable majority benefits from them.
The pandemic induced disruption has caused less of a reset but more of a rethink concerning where we want to go towards as a society. From the rise of Black Lives Matter to discussions concerning universal basic income, individuals, businesses and organizations are starting to realize that “business as usual” is no longer tolerated or desired. Indeed, it is an era of change and profound change at that.
One might argue that the startup ethos is well positioned to be the paragon of change but we’ve seen there are flaws with the ethos. Whether it is the workaholic schedules or the insular nature of certain communities, the startup community has to contend with its own flaws as well.
Hope is not lost though. Whether it is traditional business norms or startup norms, changes and adaptation are good actions that are desired in human centered systems. As someone pointed out to me a long time ago, systems designed by humans are never going to be “perfect”. There will always be flaws and imperfections. As long as we dedicate ourselves both individually and collectively to improving said systems then we cannot be faulted as a species for our flaws.
So what does the pandemic and the disruptions that the pandemic is causing have to do with opportunity? It is my firm belief that the startup community now has an incredible opportunity to “expand the tent” and provide more opportunity for those to pursue their dreams.
What do I mean by this? There has been a certain stereotype concerning who, where and what type of concept can succeed as a startup. If the pandemic has demonstrated anything, it is that stereotypes aren’t a good way to run a traditional business nor build a startup.
While globalization may be a demonized concept at the moment, it has proven in its own way that multi-billion dollar ideas don’t just come from Silicon Valley but come from around the globe. Not only that but it comes from individuals with diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. No one can deny that for all the successful tech companies in Silicon Valley such as Google, Apple and Facebook, there are tech companies such as Alibaba, Tencent and Shopify that can be pointed to as proof that success can be achieved anywhere and by anyone.
It is not only realizing and opening our minds to the reality and possibility that successful global startups can come from places other than Silicon Valley. It is also about level setting what the minimum conditions are to set individuals and teams up for success.
While we may look upon the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic for clues to dealing with the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, we must remember that the baselines are different. Medical technology and knowledge are more advanced. So to communications technology and scientific research and development infrastructure. These differences give society a fighting chance at minimizing the mortality rate and reducing the time until a vaccine is developed.
One must also remember that these differences apply to individuals as well. Today’s baseline is dramatically different than the baseline of individuals in the early 20th century. Instead of relying on solely a high school diploma, grit and determination, today’s individual needs to be globally aware, Internet connected with a post-secondary degree.
While some would state that these baseline requirements are merely an attempt at the old order to deny opportunity, one must look beyond the surface and see what these baseline requirements represent. They represent individuals who have an adaptable and diverse mindset and who are capable of harnessing resources to successfully build ideas and concepts.
If this pandemic has demonstrated anything, we, as a society, need to ensure that we design more resilient and robust socio-political and economic systems to not only withstand future “black swan” events but to ensure a “bigger tent”. The “bigger the tent” the greater possibilities and options we have to rebound faster and stronger when the next “black swan” event comes.
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