Entrepreneurs: Valley Unreality
by Miki SaxonAfter the 2010 debut of the film “The Social Network,” which made Mark Zuckerberg and his band of Facebook friends famous: the public became enthralled with technology geeks much as it was with movie stars.
Two years before The Social Network Jesse Draper, great granddaughter of California’s first venture capitalist, created and hosts the Silicon Valley Internet talk show “The Valley Girl Show” where entrepreneurs do stupid stuff in the name of “taking themselves less seriously.”
Considering the media focus on entrepreneurs can a reality show be far behind?
No, but don’t look for substance over form.
Among those is Randi Zuckerberg, Mark’s colorful sister who left Facebook last summer and recently signed on to be an executive producer of a Bravo reality show that will chronicle the hard-partying life of 20-something entrepreneurs.
Many in the Valley aren’t enamored with the idea and with good reason.
Watching anyone think and work on a computer is boring, but creative editing should effectively eliminate the thought, work and effort leaving only the stuff that will cause viewers to shake their heads and adequately feed the media hype machine.
It’s also every inaccurate, since most successful entrepreneurs are not twenty-somethings.
Vivek Wadhwa’s, a Duke University researcher who worked with the Kauffman Foundation, survey of over 500 startups operating in “high-growth industries” showed that the average founder of a successful company launched his or her venture at the surprisingly high age of 40. The study also found that people over 55 are almost twice as likely to launch high-growth startups than those aged 20 to 34.
And gray entrepreneurs outpacing green ones isn’t an isolated trend that’s only occurred in the past few years. “In every single year from 1996 to 2007, Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 had a higher rate of entrepreneurial activity than those aged 20-34,” says Dane Stangler, a research manager at Kauffman.
Of course, young, good looking, single, articulate folks in their twenties who can talk a great story about their world-changing app over drinks at a cool bar are better TV material than those who labor and then go home to spouse, family and mortgage.
My guess is the show will offer about as much reality as does the Real Housewives franchise.
SUBMIT YOUR STORY
Be the Thursday feature – Entrepreneurs: [your company name]
Share the story of your startup today.
Send it along with your contact information and I’ll be in touch.
Questions? Email or call me at 360.335.8054 Pacific time.
Image credit: Bravo TV
