Entrepreneurship: The eternal suntan or make meaning

A friend, that we will call Steve-o, suggested this title for a blog post. The argument behind it is: should you start a company to sell it and be able to live in a paradise, where you will have a carrot like eternal sun tan or, to make meaning with your company. The last one is a Guy Kawasaki philosophy or belief, which basically can be sum up in the following:

if you make meaning, you will probably make money. But if you set out to make money, you will probably not make meaning and you won’t make money

You can here more about making meaning here.

Making meaning in your company or job, is all good in a world of pink and flying elephants, however when you need to “survive”, many people will see any money as “making meaning money”. When we had secure our survival is when the world becomes pink, full of hearts and flying elephants.

Interesting enough, there are people that don’t want to make a meaning or secure any “survival money”, but hit the jackpot to get that “Eternal Suntan”. The making meaning thing might be seen as full of crap, but eternal suntan is worst. Imagine you start a company, because you live in a system where you are chosen, just because it was your turn. You got your money by selling it for millions, move to the Caribbean or exotic pacific islands and spend all day in a “Speedo” seeing topless women (or men). You life just got shortened with all that sun (hello skin cancer) or you might catch up something in you bohemian lifestyle. And then what, your still lonely, bitter, full of crazy stories that will entrain tourists for a five minutes (your not considered a tourist anymore). Then in a moment of enlightenment, at age 53 (looking like 73) realized that there is no reason to live.

The above sounds dramatic, however that happens when people have secured their “survival” early. You see people in developing countries don’t have time to think about suntans and making meaning, they have to focus on one thing: SURVIVE, REALLY SURVIVE. And this is what keeps them sane, busy thinking and innovating, not thinking on the “immortality of the frog” [translation from the saying "inmortalidad del sapo"], getting depressed and whatever they do. Giving their love ones and second chance is their “making meaning” path, their families come first before changing the world, at the end what more can you ask if every human tries to make the world a better place for the love ones. What better way to leave this world knowing that, your children are what they are because of you.

So for those wanting to get lucky and hit the jackpot, well as Einstein, “God does not play dice with the universe”. If you don’t believe in God or a god then think of karma, “pay it forward” and.

luck is when preparation meets opportunity