Lately, I've started to think more about why young entrepreneurs seem more capable and ubiquitous than ever before. It seems as though all my peers, despite being in their early 20s, are starting companies, raising funds, and hiring their friends away from some of the larger Fortune 500s I've worked with in the past.
When I dig deeper into this trend, and after meeting with and discussing amongst various young entrepreneurs, I'm realizing that the writing's on the wall. With student loans at all-time highs, business tools and new technologies priced at all-time lows, and the "Hollywood"-ization of starting a business, many young people feel like the choice isn't whether or not to become an entrepreneur, but rather what problem(s) to solve.
However, a few of the larger companies I work with are slow to realize this trend. They think their star millennial employees are simply going to stick around because of loyalty, a steady paycheck, and clear lines of succession in upper ranks of management.
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These companies don't believe that young entrepreneurs are going to affect their business. However, here are seven reasons why young entrepreneurs are preparing to take over the world.
1. They're hungry. "Millennials are screwed." At least that's what Google's drop-down autosuggestion menu will give you if you type "millennials are" into the search bar. For years, this new generation has been chewed up by the media for various negative and, at times, undeserved stereotypes.
More than ever, millennials are out to prove that they're actually breaking down age barriers and changing the world, and many young entrepreneurs are working longer hours, taking on more responsibility, and raising more funding than ever before to combat myths about their generation.
2. They're talking. Young entrepreneurs are talking to each other and collaborating at unforeseen rates. Never before in history have youth been able to lead youth on a global scale like they have been today.
From the Thiel Fellowship, Enstitute, and Uncollege type of alternate education programs to online communities like 2 Billion Under 20 and Under 30 Changemakers, young entrepreneurs are helping one another get ahead and succeed, which means future business deals, networking, and success for many of them.
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