“Is it my duty to do what I know is right?”. When we sit down and think about our lives, are we content with the way things are? If the answer is no, Luke Janssen believes that we are duty bound to do something about it. This week, Ned and Dani explore the topic of entrepreneurship with Luke and uncover how it could be the key to a fulfilling life.
Corporate life gets tiring. By the time we’re 40, are we going to be the CEO of the company? For 99% of the population, the answer would be no. Realising this, many start to become disillusioned with the corporate landscape and start to wonder what they’re doing with their time. Luke comments that it is sad to see many people realising too late that being in a corporate job for many years is not really serving them.
Advising others on how to start companies is one of the things that Luke currently does. From this experience, he has learned that ideas are overrated. Many people think that having a breakthrough idea is the most important thing and that they can’t start a company without one. On the contrary, Luke shares that when he advises people who have an idea, this idea would have changed by the end of the week-long workshop. The point is that for many successful companies, it is not an amazing idea, but jumping on opportunities that led them to success. Being successful lies in uncovering where the key opportunities are and capitalising on that.
Big companies and their employees face many issues which can be solved through breaking up their operations into smaller parts. Ideally, each component of a large institution would become an independent company that sold their services to the institution. Having ownership of a company generates drive and causes people to work harder and happier. Furthermore, small companies have agency to make real differences in society. Luke highlights how large institutions release statements on cultural diversity and combating climate change but many of which are simple lip services. It is not these large conglomerates, but the smaller companies which possess a true mission that can enact change and touch the lives of others.
There are many factors that cause people to be hesitant when starting a company. Whether it be not having an idea to not understanding the technology to not knowing how to run a business, the list is seemingly endless. Rather than focusing on those concerns, Luke and Ned feel that focusing on your craft and what you want to provide is a lot more important. Those auxiliary concerns can be met through hired help, but the core of the business must come from you. Luke wishes that everyone would take the time to sit down and think about if everything is going right. It is important to think about whether we’re happy with the world, whether we’re happy with the amount of time we have with family, and happy with what our company is doing. If the answer is no, it’s time to make a change.
