Startups, entrepreneurs, innovation, technology, and economic development.
The silver economy is an exciting market that is gaining more attention from investors and entrepreneurs alike. The silver economy refers to the economic activities and spending associated with aging populations, typically those over 60 years old. This segment of the population is growing rapidly due to longer life expectancy, and it is becoming increasingly... Continue Reading →
The rate of adoption of digital technologies by companies of all stages and sizes has been growing fast over the past decade. These technologies range from e-commerce applications, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, video conferencing and financial management software, all the way to blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), to name just a few. In the... Continue Reading →
Innovation and new ideas I am frequently approached by people who want to share a new business idea with me. Usually the pitch is accompanied by a good amount of mystery and secrecy: "Andre, I'm telling you this because I trust you, but don't tell anyone; this could be big". Let me summarize what I tell... Continue Reading →
Guest post by Zaki Raheem During this unprecedented global economic downturn caused by COVID-19, accelerators, incubators, and other entrepreneurship support organizations have a valuable role to play in supporting entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging and frontier markets. For corporates, foundations, donors, and development banks that support these entrepreneurship ecosystems, we offer... Continue Reading →
As an entrepreneur, in both Brazil and the US, I had to constantly battle with limited resources and deal with crises, both internal and external. The current COVID-19 pandemic is certainly unique in several ways, but many of the same lessons apply. I have prepared this list to hopefully help some entrepreneurs think through a... Continue Reading →
It is not a coincidence that the most developed nations are also the ones with the highest levels of entrepreneurial activity and innovation. While starting from a minimal level of development helps support the latter two, for example through basic access to capital and institutional stability, the impact of innovation and entrepreneurship on the economy... Continue Reading →
Post originally published on IDB's Sustainable Business blog. Development finance institutions (DFIs) can play an important role promoting innovation for increased competitiveness and sustained development in their client countries. Properly executed programs and projects can leverage private investment placement, develop local capital markets, improve resource allocation, as well as avoid moral hazard. As laid out in the... Continue Reading →
Changemaking through the 21st century I’ve been writing about the role of entrepreneurship in the creation of value and prosperity for many years. This is a natural deduction for me, having spent about half my career working as an economist and the other half starting and running businesses. In fact, looking back in history, there... Continue Reading →
Innovation is relative, originality overrated Innovation is one of the sexiest words in the business vocabulary. However, originality can be overrated, especially when it comes to the opportunity of bringing a proven business concept to a new market. The world is full of examples of copycat business models that were successfully replicated in new countries.... Continue Reading →
Disruptive innovations and customer feedback A recent study by ChubbyBrain.com listed the top 20 reasons why startups fail. The #1 reason, ahead of funding, product quality, pricing and other popular ones, was "ignoring or not seeking customer feedback". However, there are two sides to this. If your company is launching a disruptive technology, or a... Continue Reading →
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