Alright, hear me out on this one. I am just back from Jobs for NSW’s Regional Pitchfest event. The link to this event was sent on our Founders channel and that is how I got to know of it. Subconsciously, I had imagined a bunch of young entrepreneurs (the university attending bunch or just people in their 20’s) dominate this event. However, I spotted maybe 3 other persons in their 20’s and the rest seemed to be a much older lot.

Yes, the pitches were nice and the semifinalists did pretty well considering that they were given 60-seconds to pitch. But my question remains- where is the younger crowd?

In a passing conversation, I made this observation known to one of the guests, albeit a much senior person, whom I was chatting with. He made the obvious comment- ‘Entrepreneurs can be of any age!’. He then added- ‘It’s good that you think of yourself as young’ at which point the conversation seemed to have ended. Maybe he took offence?

I am not contesting the fact that entrepreneurs can be of any age. I was having a chat with one of the winners- a lovely lady who was working on her startup because she did not want to sit at home scrolling social media websites. That’s when it hit me- these people, the participants- they have security. They are not the ones who are betting everything on this one dumb idea to change the world. These people have the time and experience to do what they want.

My anger is generated from this fact that most of the participants and the audience was a well-to-do bunch who could afford taking risks. My assumption was that many of them did not have much to lose or had a substantial backup.

Where are the student entrepreneurs (and in my opinion, the real risk-takers)?

Most of the people studying in universities are caught up in the stupid rat race- to get hired by a nice company and to earn a nice living and then nicely retire. They are living in the machinery set up in the industrial era- the same era from which most of the pitchers were.

My anger is more towards my generation and the younger bunch (if you will). We need to realise that the system has failed us and continues to do so. The Regional Pitchfest is another example of the failing system. YOU are the people who should be driving the change. YOU are the ones who should be fighting the system, the rusting industrial era machinery- the education system designed to churn out sameness. STOP playing the victim card and start making things right!