I'm Gen Y, and I Don't Feel Special or Entitled, Just Poor
Fascinating. I constantly wonder about the psychological mindset of entrepreneurs in the US. It seems to me that being an entrepreneur is the riskiest profession imaginable in the USA. Unless you come from a family of means, failure becomes a one way ticket to homelessness, malady, and squalor. The social safety net is extremely poor and unforgiving, such that one mistake could be a life changer.<p>This is why I wonder, to this day, why a coalition of entrepreneurs do not support a basic income. It is the ultimate hedge against failure in a capitalistic society, and would severely curtail the risks of failed ventures for every individual.<p>This would massively incentivize the fail-fast mantra of startups, and unleash a scramble to create the most valuable and profitable companies with a long term focus.<p>I'm not holding my breath for basic income in the USA, but if Europe or the Commonwealth countries instigate it first, it would be a massive draw for serious entrepreneurs in the long term. Of course, this would have to be balanced by access to capital, which does not necessarily require presence in traditional VC hotspots (many UWaterloo companies have gone thru YC and received top tier VC funding).<p>This is the world I hope to see going forward. Basic income, single payer or nationalized healthcare, and a long term focus on efficiency at the state and national levels.