I pop into a coffee shop, and almost immediately I get greeted by this entrepreneur who recognizes me. He makes bags out of recycled billboards. He says he has been offered a scholarship to study at ALA in Mauritius. After congratulating him, I ask whats going to happen to the bag business? He says… well that’s where he needs my advice. His degree is four years and it is a great opportunity cause no one at home could afford to pay for his studies. So I ask him what is his business’ turnover. He says R200k Pm. This kid is 20 years old and has a business that turns R200k, he works out of a coffee shop (see pic). I stop and look around the coffee shop and everyone is immersed in their translucent screens. It looks like a fruit store with so many Apples.
Mean age is 26…I don’t know what they are doing but they are clearly plugged into the entrepreneurial matrix. Coffee is not the only thing grinding in this place.
So what advice did I give this young lad?
I said he should go to university and if he doesn’t find value in it after his first year he should drop out!
I think we need to have a drop out culture, drop out because you are uninspired and you think you can do big things, don’t drop out cause you are failing and class is kicking your ass, that’s just failure. Get straight A’s then drop out.
What I really wanted to say to this kid is let’s see what your business actually does and it’s revenue model and if I can add value I will invest in it. I will plug you into all my retail contacts.
Instead, I knowingly sent a free range entrepreneur into the employment mass production coup for his creativity to be slaughtered.
Ps: there is a business model in supplying wireless printers to coffee shops.