Don’t Delay! Now is the Time to Start Your Web Startup.
Back in the summer of 2001 when I was in my final year of university, I had a part-time job at an internet cafe. It was in a dingy old pub with prehistoric computers and a barely-better-than-dialup connection shared amongst fifteen computers. Because it was such a crappy internet cafe no-one ever really went there. So I found myself with plenty of time to learn Photoshop, HTML and to dabble in PHP.
At that time the Dotcom Bubble had recently burst and though there were some ragged survivors like Amazon, the majority of the high flying, aeron buying, dotcom elite had come and gone. I used to sit in my internet cafe waiting for the nonexistent customers and think, “If only I had gotten into this web stuff five years ago, then I could have been part of all that excitement!”
In my youthful naivete, I was convinced that the time for web startups had passed and I’d missed the boat. Sure it was a boat that eventually crashed at full speed right into the docks, but what a ride it must have been!
Fast forward five years, and after two jobs as a web designer and a stint as a freelancer I found myself at the dawn of that second great web era – Web 2.0. This time around I discovered I was suddenly at the right place at the right time with the right skills. Yes, it’s missing the crazy hype and some of the premature enthusiasm and energy of the Dotcom bubble, but ultimately it has turned out to be a better time for little startups like mine.
In his fantastically readable book “Outliers – the Story of Success“, Malcolm Gladwell illustrates how there have been ideal times to be working in particular industries. He shows that programmers like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were not just brilliant entrepreneurs, but that importantly they took advantage of being around at a particular time with a particular set of skills and opportunities.
Now I’m no Gates or Jobs, but I do know that this is a golden period for the web. These are the years that our future selves will look back at and say “Boy that was an exciting time online!” There are simply so many opportunities for people with the skills to create great products. The barriers to entry are exceedingly low allowing developers, designers, bloggers, and all manner of people with particular enthusiasm, skill and drive to build successful businesses online.
But it won’t last. Over time the more obvious opportunities slowly dry up and the barriers rise. To get in on the action you have to be increasingly advanced, well funded and creative.
I would argue that the web right now however is still wide open. Just look at how Twitter has come out of left field to become a massive internet phenomena in just three short years. There are still many, many untapped opportunities.
So I’ll end this post to say that if you’ve wondered whether you should make a go of a particular idea you have, I say yes! If you’re going to go for it, go for it now! Sure we won’t all be Twitters or Facebooks, but that doesn’t mean we can’t build some neat little startups, grow sustainable businesses and live to tell the tale of how we helped build the internet in the heady days of 2009!
As usual great article! Thanks!
Completely agree. Although a little over enthusiastically written I think that if you have the talent and are in that “niche” one good piece of work could catapult your career. I’m the same, but still yet to find that one single great idea.
Great inspirational post collis. I full agree with you, now is one of the most exciting times in internet history. New coding languages and techniques allow to make any idea come true, and the number of internet-savvy businesses is much higher than in the 90’s.
Absolutely agree with this. NOW is the time to achieve your dreams. Maybe this is off topic but Seth Godin says something similar..
“If I had to pick one piece of marketing advice to give you, that would be it.
Now.
Make something happen today, before you go home, before the end of the week. Launch that idea, post that post, run that ad, call that customer. Go the edge, that edge you’ve been holding back from… and do it today. Without waiting for the committee or your boss or the market. Just go.”
Often time, we miss great opportunities waiting for things to get perfect. The time taught me to “release and improve” instead of postponing the things with hope to make it perfect and then, watch the competition getting success with similar idea.
Intelligently going against the flow of the lemmings is a less traveled path with many naysayers along the berm. There is always room for innovation, clear thought, dedication to purpose and excellence. Fear not the resistance encountered in life, fear the outcome of “what if you hadn’t….” Plan your course, set your direction, stay the path and do not deviate. Success will not ignore you. ©2009 PS Nice post.
You’re right, now IS the time for startups, but for me, finances are stopping me from starting my next web startup. I’ve got bills and a wedding and an end of year trip to pay for with little more than a single income.
Still, this article has given me some inspiration to keep going with my idea and worry about the paid stuff later. Thanks!
I could not agree with you more. Now is the time to get in don’t delay.
Great article. Now is always the time. The amount of opportunities people waste by procrastinating is simply unbelievable.
Should I, Shouldn’t I….
You should!
Wow this is just what I wanted to hear right now! Currently pulling a project together, I have the funds, an idea, a basic business plan but a few doubts.. I have looked at worst case scenarios and feel comfortable that I can deal with them if it all goes tits-up.
When starting out, I was so worried about getting the money, a site etc… I never thought that once I got that all together I would be worried about pressing the “Go” button. Anyone know what I mean?
Anyway, great post and it has given me that little push in the right direction.
Thanks
If people follow the tenor of this article we will once again have a industry propped up by an unsustainable level of investment, with no forward thought to the business or income generation. It is already straining with current social media sites failing on a weekly basis.
Has anyone else considered the possibility of a Dotcom Crash 2.0?
Very inspiring, thanks you Collis!
Having read Outliers, what struck me about it was that – despite being a very interesting read – you could only really define the path and circumstances leading to Outlier success with the benefit of hindsight.
Whilst you can argue it is a good time to start up, it is hard to see until years down the line if a particular skill set and particular market conditions did actually lead to the success seen by the people mentioned in the book.
Thanks Collis! i’m going to keep working in my ideas
Just what I need to hear! thanks Collis, your posts are always informative and inspiring.
Glad to see that you have time to write a post again
. Awesome post as usual!
Your post was excellent and I totally agree. I think that all of us at one point are scared to take a risk, especially when it’s a big one like starting a business. But, living life in “what if”, in my opinion, is horrible. Take the chance! Dive in!
Thanks Collis for the excellent article.
Great post, Collis. Can I have some money for my great idea? Thanks in advance.
I sometimes find myself wondering about missed opportunities. The more I think on it though I realize that almost all business is insanely cyclical. There is always room for the new and there can always be a Pepsi to someone elses Coke. Great post Collis.
I enjoyed this read, As a owner of a network i’ve said something near to this on a number of occasions. It truly is enjoying learning of new startups and hearing about the “new kid” on the block.
Shedh
http://criminalexistence.com/ceforums/
Inspiring post. Although we’re in a tough economy, there are a lot of opportunities out there for creative people.
I agree entirely with your post. My experience says that as people are counting the coffers a bit more, larger web agencies are being ruled out and the smaller agencies like ours are experiencing an upturn in fortunes, due to charging realistic and affordable prices.
Exciting times indeed!
This is an Excellent article….
Really motivational and inspiring…
The thought about the startup are now running in my mind once again..
I feel inspired with your words. Thank you for this blog.
I will need to agree with you. Great article! Thanks
Quite inspirational, and encouraging! It’s reading articles like this that keeps the drive going for two projects I am trying to push live. Like you say above I don’t expect to create the next Twitter (would be nice!) but if I can make a living and enjoy what I am doing that’s success in my eyes.
My thoughts exactly. Also because I don’t like the idea of having to actually go to a job, unless it’s my favorite coffee shop. I like that I can start and make something on my own on the web, having a worldwide audience and help at my fingertips.
Great thoughts, just stumbled upon this from the Envato website and am loving it.
Cheers,
Björgvin
I know exactly what Collis means, He MEANS that global corporations will take over with big money and close the barriers for independant people, BUT THE BARRIER WILL NEVER CLOSE,… take veoh for example Funded by fox, look at it now? The internet is made by the people and for the people. True barriers form, but its the people that dictate, and when barriers close, people feel its closed and they have the power to bring the barriers down.
al ja’hewd, wont get there, google is just a search engine, if it becomes any more i will stop using it.
Web 2.0 — and I always thought i was a Graphic Expression about design.
In Japan people buy sodas and lunch with their cellphones.
America tried it per 2000, didn’t fly.
Not sure where Australia is with this . . . but,
It’s coming. It’s not Web 2.0
It’s micro-chip-currency. Cell-Phone or Card-Held . . .
It’s the new wave of the Internet.
Those that can process payments, will get a small piece of the pie.
It’s going to be a really big Pie too!
I wish i had the money to fulfill my business plans