STARTERMINDSET

By Moshe Goldstein

Growing up, we dream of going into a field that will change the world. Why don't we end up doing this?

In STARTERMINDSET, author Moshe Goldstein interviews fourteen young (17-25 year old) professionals, each coming from unique and diverse backgrounds, who tell their stories and share their motivations to succeed. Thes

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Release date: May 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885042390

Book preview

Contents

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Introduction:

First Steps

Chapter 1

History

Chapter 2

Media: Parker

Chapter 3

Tech: Charu

Chapter 4

Food: Logan

Chapter 5

Art: Lily

Chapter 6

Gaming: Ibrahim

Chapter 7

Fashion: Lisa

Chapter 8

Cyber Security: Jake

Chapter 9

Activism: Danielle

Chapter 10

Cancer Research: Ann

Chapter 11

Medicine: Catharine

Chapter 12

Empowerment: Danya

Chapter 13

E-Commerce: Brennan

Chapter 14

Innovation: Riya

Chapter 15

Social Equality: Michael

Chapter 16

Your Turn

Acknowledgments

Appendix

Introduction

First Steps

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I was on my way to class one day when I saw a fellow classmate sitting in the lounge, seemingly not being productive.

What can I do to motivate and inspire young people looking to start a new venture to go for it? I wondered. It bothered me that there was so much talent right in front of me, yet no one was taking action to really do great things. The frustration of all these students with enormous potential and nothing to push them forward to create something truly extraordinary nagged me. Often, I thought, Any of these people have the ability to group together and solve society’s pressing issues. So why don’t they? After all, being in school instills a powerful, creative mentality and a growth mindset surrounded by the tools needed to succeed.

Why aren’t people more ambitious? I wondered when all my friends told me that they would be lucky just to land any internship or side gig. Some of my friends are incredible team leaders, extremely talented, and creative. I sit in a room with people who have a passion for video games, machine learning, and technology, and they can use these talents to make a massive positive difference.

Furthermore, I was frustrated by the lack of action being taken for students to build something for themselves. A study in 2016, from Mashable by Stephanie Walden, found that almost 80 percent of people don’t end up following through on their career dreams. Instead, they pursue other career paths. This really bothers me. To me, the difference between success and failure is too often giving up on oneself and not putting oneself in a position to succeed. Imagine how much happier our lives would be if we didn’t give up so soon and persisted until we made it. Imagine the ingenuity and breakthroughs we can achieve by having more experts with different perspectives. I believe that too many people are wasting their talents and gifts which, when put in a position to succeed, will propel everyone forward and start the next generation of great leaders and companies. One of the things which amazes me in teamwork is how one small change can have massive implications. When we are all put in a position to succeed, the team smashes goals in every way and the outcome is extraordinary. This is why having more people thinking the way I do about this issue is so important to me. I hope that by offering you this book, I instill in you the same passion I have for taking initiative.

Imagine the opportunity a couple of students can create for themselves by putting their heads together in a side room to invent a new way to do online shopping or gaming. To me, the opportunities for them are abundant. So what is holding them back? This is what drives me: the relentless pursuit of taking the skills and talents I have developed over the years to make a difference my own way. For example, instead of joining a robotics company, I have the tools to create one on my own. Why not use our skills in ways that change lives, like helping people to walk again through advancing prosthetics? Why not create the future? Let’s use our skills to better everyone.

Often, I think about others, Why do they settle? I can see why people might be afraid to risk their family or lifestyle to pursue a dream. When you are younger, you have all the opportunities in the world. Why not give it a shot when you have little risk? Too often, people wait for opportunities to come to them. You have a chance at that opportunity right now by giving it a shot. Use your musical talents and passion to start a music career or join a band. Get some friends together and launch a tech start-up or try turning that hobby into a lifelong career. I believe that most people miss out on what they really want to do by not seeing the paths and opportunities in front of them, so they pursue the conventional path instead of trying to carve out their own. An article in Inc. Magazine, titled 15 Sad Reasons People Give Up on Their Dreams, lists the top fifteen reasons why people give up on their dreams early on in their life. Three reasons listed were fear of being judged for failure, only seeing the failure and not the lesson, and not believing in oneself. My hope is to show you, whether you’re in school, in your early career, or even in a career where the opportunities are right in front of you, that you can still take the right steps to create that dream for yourself.

I’m extremely passionate about young people and entrepreneurship, and I have a deep desire to help others achieve their goals wherever they are in their careers. I see myself as a relentless problem solver, and I’m always looking to help students make their dreams come true. Having come from a variety of fields, I am in a unique position to see paths to success from many angles. I have studied abroad and gained multicultural perspectives into different walks of life. I am educated in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Cyber Security, so I have a developed instinct for science and engineering. I play piano and know the dream of becoming a famous musician. I have done research and development in a tech company, so I know what it tastes like to have made it in the tech industry by working for a big company. I also love seeing people succeed, and I am actively pursuing an opportunity for myself to support others by becoming an expert in patent and intellectual property law.

Often, I freelance my time and expertise to help friends succeed with their ambitious goals. I want to use my background in many different fields—like doing tech consulting, interning in an intellectual property law firm, and being a part of the EMS system—to gather stories from successful entrepreneurs under twenty-five and shine a positive light on entrepreneurship. I’ve set out to interview young entrepreneurs to learn about their mindsets and gain better insights into how anyone can be successful. I am particularly passionate about young people smashing goals. I see so much talent and potential in this age group, and it constantly blows my mind to learn how many opportunities there are. Belief in oneself often can carry you to places you wouldn’t ever imagine, and being young means you get to enjoy more of it since time is on your side.

You will be amazed to hear the personal stories of trials and triumph that these successful entrepreneurs overcame to carve out their place in their respected industries. What’s more, all are under the age of twenty-five. Many have been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, some have been recognized for their incredible research, and some are the most celebrated young people today.

Learning about how these burgeoning entrepreneurs are making a difference in communities and in other parts of the world inspired me. The impact has been felt in all industries including fashion, technology, and research. Clearly, the impact that one person can have on so many people at such a young age is truly astonishing.

Young, business-savvy individuals you will hear about in this book range from start-up CEOs to founders of nonprofit organizations, from humanitarian activists to YouTube and social media influencers, and from young chefs to incredible young people anonymously making a difference in everyday lives. I hope that these stories will inspire other young entrepreneurs, high school students, college students, and young adults to follow their dreams and not give up. Young people, fresh ideas, and fresh insight will help solve the world’s problems. I’m convinced that we need more people looking for cures to what ails us. We have the power to get companies to take climate change seriously, for example. More people can get involved in these issues and make a difference. A twenty-year-old can start a fashion company and make it sustainable and eco-friendly.

Generation Z shows very strong entrepreneurial characteristics. According to Dan Schawbel of Entrepreneur magazine, 61 percent of Gen Zs would rather start their own business than work for someone else. This generation is the perfect generation to start young for a couple of reasons:

•The education system has been liberalized. When it comes to education, the youth of today have unparalleled access from online classes to free videos posted on YouTube.

•The Information Age has facilitated this liberalization. The education system is changing dramatically, allowing anyone to learn almost anything at the push of a button. Free online resources like Khan Academy and world-class courses on YouTube are proof of this.

•Starting a company today is easier and cheaper than it has been in the past. Online networking and support allow individuals to connect with like-minded venture capitalists across the globe.

•College tuition has increased by 25 percent across the board over the past ten years while undergraduate education is now partially open-source information (Hess, 2019).

•The return on college investment is not the same as it used to be due to inflation and lack of pay partnered with rising tuition costs.

•Generation Z has better abilities to network among one another. Through the use of social media and other tech platforms, it has become easier to connect with like-minded human beings.

Even with all of the advantages that Generation Z has, one thing does prevent people from starting young: inexperience. The old adage is that people need to wait in order to gain experience to do big things like start their own company, but this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m here to prove that to you.

Many entrepreneurs who are successful today actually started when they were young, before they obtained their experience (Tognini, 2019). Rather than learning through reading, they learned through the practice and application of their skill sets. Legendary entrepreneurs such as Richard