It’s indie time

Nothing inspires us more than a spunky entrepreneur with a brilliant product taking on the establishment. If Jack or Jill can create more value for the people, all the power to’em.

But let’s not gloss over how hard it is. On most days, being an entrepreneur is a tough, thankless job.

Still, the tunnel doesn’t feel quite as dark as it used to be. You might even call today’s climate “indie-friendly”. Consider the following:

• Consumers are on the hunt for stuff like passion, soul, authenticity, integrity, locally-grown and bespoke (small companies do this stuff much better than big ones)
• There are tons of new resources and tools available for entreps. (the web, instructional content and classes, better health insurance options, temporary office space, etc)
• The web makes it possible for small companies/individuals to serve micro-markets better than big companies can (more on this Long Tail stuff in another post)
• There is more capital available today for entrepreneurs (a growing angel market, informal corporate sponsorships via cash-paying day jobs, etc)
• Big companies and VCs are investing earlier in a company’s lifecycle (it’s hard to manufacture soul), creating more liquidity and/or partnership options

So what are you waiting for? Gather up your slings…