Why Did I Become an Entrepreneur?
Why Did I Become an Entrepreneur?
The origins of my desire to become an entrepreneur started in the 80s, when growing up I was enamored with early home PC tech, physics, and aerospace. I marveled at how in my grandparents’ lifetime they had witnessed the impossible leap from horse travel to men walking on the moon. I dreamed of the marvels I would witness in my lifetime over the upcoming decades.
Now a few of those decades have passed by, and I reflect back on technology in society and I ask, “How have things advanced?”. I see the internet and the smartphone and am amazed at being able to Facetime a friend in Europe–something that has opened doors for creating and maintaining friendships worldwide. But beyond Moore’s law advancing the speed of computer chips, and the internet connecting the world, life today is not fundamentally different than it was decades ago. Where are my flying cars? Where is my lab-grown heart to extend human life by one hundred years?
This reflection solidified in my mind when I came across a quote from Elon Musk:
“People are mistaken when they think that technology just automatically improves. It does not automatically improve. It only improves if a lot of people work very hard to make it better, and actually it will, I think, by itself degrade, actually. You look at great civilizations like Ancient Egypt, and they were able to make the pyramids, and they forgot how to do that. And then the Romans, they built these incredible aqueducts. They forgot how to do it.”
Co-founding my own company has empowered me to be a force for change, one where I can directly ensure that mankind advances its giant leap forward with progress. It enables me to see where gaps exists in the world and to apply technological solutions. It’s not about growing the valuation of my company, or ensuring profit margins are met, etc...While these are important, what matters is being a force for change to improve the lives of others in my community.
Author:
Matt Westergard
Co-Founder of Tech Founders of York County
Founder & COO, SPI.
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