2008 - The Year of the Individual !Posted on January 3, 2008
The start of a new year is often seen as both a time for reflection and for looking to the future.
On reflection I recognise two major movements in Montreal in 2007:
- The "self activation" of Montreal’s entrepreneurial community - primarily through Barcamps, Democamps and Tech Breakfasts.
- The closing of the gap between the franchopone and anglophone entrepreneurial communities.
As others have commented we have come a long way in a short amount of time and this progress is both exciting and encouraging for Montreal and also for Canada.
Looking forward, I implore Montreal’s new wave of entrepreneurs, angel investors and VC’s to work hard, work fast and work smart.
There are a few things that I would like us to try and keep in mind as we push on into 2008:
- We are not the first to face any given problem - but realising that it is a problem means that at least we now have an opportunity to do something about it.
- We will not achieve great success by working in a vacum:
- Life is a competitive process - decide if you are training to win the New York marathon or finish a sponsored 5K fun run. Both are worthy goals but each requires a different levels of commitment .
- Life is a collaborative process - helping other people achieve their goals does not necessarily hinder you achieving yours. Surround yourself with worthy training partners that will push and motivate you to do more.
- Make decisions ! Some people succeed, some people fail and some people drift along in between. Drifting is the worst option of the three (and it is an option you chose). Be prepared to fail at something so that you then have the time to succeed at something else.
- Time does not stand still so don’t be fooled into thinking that "quality of life" is a substitute for hard work - it is a product of it !
- And for those entrepreneurs trying to launch a new business in 2008 - please remember, if everyone says it looks like a dog and sounds like a dog …. but don’t seem to want to pat it … then perhaps its not a dog (and that’s not a good thing)!
On a final note, a city is only as good as its people make it.
When we talk about "Montreal" needing this or that we must remember is that is is individuals who must make decisions and individuals who must take actions in order to fulfill these needs - and its not "Montreal" who benefits from these individuals actions - its other individuals !
I know many individuals who have contributed to the successes of 2007, but I know many more who have already agreed to contribute more in 2008 - so to all of those individuals and any others that are so inspired to contribute - THIS IS YOUR YEAR !