With high unemployment rates following the global economic recession of 2008, small businesses are being held up as the hope for recovery. Going beyond the West, creating businesses is central to economic development. In this issue of Ethix we focus on issues of entrepreneurship.
Guy Kawasaki has written the book on entrepreneurship (literally in Reality Check). The former Apple evangelist provides his insight into starting a business focusing on what venture capitalists are looking for when they decide which businesses to fund. His perspective provides “don’t miss” advice for anyone considering making a job rather than finding one. Collin Timms is a venture capitalist from the other side of the world, Bangalore, India. He has been at the center of economic development there including microlending, banking, and venture capital. He offers an unusual perspective in our second Conversation, focusing not on the business idea nor the team, but on an individual with character and passion.
Anyone starting a business needs a product or service to offer, but which product or service? I have found some ideas for this in the work of Clayton Christensen, which I discuss in Technology Watch].
The next issue will focus on technology and ethics issues in health care. We have lined up Conversations with Gary Kaplan, CEO of Virginia Mason Hospital (who has been leading the way with the implementation of lean production systems from the manufacturing field), and Robert Wachter (a highly respected “hospitalist” from University of California, San Francisco). Economics, safety, technology, access to health care, and medical outcomes are some of the subjects we will discuss.
We look forward to your comments on this new issue.
Al Erisman
Executive Editor