New Businesses Reflect a Dramatic Shift in Thinking

My first successful business — ClickZ.com — was born in a boom time. “Get big fast” was the prevailing wisdom back then. It was a rush to get through your rounds of VC (which we never did, thank God) and then straight on to IPO.

Now that I’ve done about 15 interviews with various entrepreneurs, I’m hearing something totally different… Something more like, “let the business grow organically to the size it needs to be” followed by “I have no intention to rush things just for a quick buck”. There’s a reluctance to take on venture capital until it’s absolutely necessary, and even then, take on the minimal amount you can.

It’s a far healthier perspective than the craziness I witnessed in the late 90’s. I think the crop of new businesses we have coming along now will be a hardier group than the grow fast/die faster lot that I followed during the bubble.

This generation has learned from the sins of its elders…