If your dream is to become a successful entrepreneur/inventor, or to launch your own startup, then you may occasionally find yourself in moments of self-doubt. Being an entrepreneur is something that many of us dream of but it’s not as easy as just doing a regular job. Often you hear shocking statistics about how many people fail each year and you’ll hear a lot of disparaging remarks from friends and family who would rather you did something a little more ‘stable’. Are you just like the 10 year old who wants to be a footballer? Optimistic but ultimately naïve?
Well before you get too down in the dumps, it’s worth remembering that plenty of people do succeed. While there are many failures, there are plenty of inspiring stories out there that show us that all we need is a little imagination and a lot of determination. Here are some of the best recent ones…
Eden Full: At the tender age of 19, Eden Full left university to develop ‘The SunSaluter’ – a solar panel rotator which can increase efficiency by up to 40% for just $25. Her hope is that it will be able to help developing countries to be more energy efficient – particularly as it doesn’t require any power source to run. And so far she’s off to a great start – the last year has seen her in hundreds of meetings with clients and field tests, and she’s already raised $100,000 in grants from the Ashoka Foundation, Postcode Lottery Green Challenge and Thiel Fellowship. Keep an eye out for Roseicollis Technologies!
Tom Pellereau: If you’re reading this from the UK, then Tom Pellereau’s is a face you might recognise. That’s because he was one of the contestants on 2011’s UK Apprentice, which is only one of his many successes.
Tom’s story began when he invented the ‘curved nail file’ – a simple invention that nevertheless fulfilled a clear need and made a lot of intuitive sense. After landing deals with a number of large stores, Tom managed to make a fair bit of money from this idea before going on the Apprentice to try and win an investment from Lord Sugar (this was the first year that the show’s prize was an investment rather than a typical apprenticeship). Tom’s entrepreneurial skills helped him to become a success on the show, and not only was he a favourite among viewers, but he also managed to win the show and the quarter million investment. His next idea was to create a chair that helped to correct the posture of desk-workers, but Lord Sugar convinced him to stick with what he knew. Recently the duo unveiled the ‘nipper clipper’ for safely clipping baby nails. It seems he succeeds at whatever he gets his claws into…
Scott Wilson: Scot Wilson is another inventor who, with the help of his design studio, managed to come up with one of those brilliantly simple inventions – a strap that would turn the iPod Nano into a watch thereby beating Apple to the punch with his very own ‘iWatch’. To say the idea proved popular would be an understatement as the project managed to raise an impressive $942,578 despite only seeking $15,000 to begin with.
Square: Another Apple-based invention was the credit card swiper from Square. Headed by one Jack Dorsey, the company aimed to create a cool and desirable swiper that would draw jealous stares – and the bet proved to be a smart one. After significant success they’ve not only acquired the New York design firm 80/20, but have also landed a successful partnership with Starbucks. One to watch in 2013…
