[aniijbod]

This article is based on the current rose-tinted view of employment as 'the safe option' which says 'if you don't want to be a founder or co-founder of a startup, don't worry, with the right skills there'll always be a nice safe, steady job for you with one of those big reliable old operations who are all so great at innovation that they'll always be around'. Alan, you're right, entrepreneurship does have a dirty little secret: failure. But unlike big established employers, a determined serial startup founder can even be bankrupt and still get together with a mate and start another. Failure is good for the fledgling entrepreneur, because it releases the hardest-won experience back into the startup ecosystem. It's the big guys whose failures will leave employees with skills which will be less likely to be transferable in any future downturn. The days when the likelihood of failure was a good excuse for not starting a startup were over the moment that it became possible to try it at zero cost, before or after getting a job, or even being on the dole. Get out there. Do a startup. Fail fast, fail cheap, get the bug, pass it on, share what you learn. If you succeed, become an Angel. If you don’t, become a mentor. Failed first-timers who retain enthusiasm and commitment can make inspiring mentors.