“You can also provide services to early adopters through the ‘freemium’ model, and across the board we’re seeing that effect. The companies that are winning today understand their role in the ecosystem. New ecosystems are being built where there’s been a dominant player who does not want to relinquish control of the economics.”
THE ENGINE OF SOCIETY...
So, what are Julie’s thoughts on our government?
“Well, I’d prefer a smaller government and less taxes. I think the two go together and, in Entrepreneur Country, start-ups wouldn’t pay PAYE and National Insurance for their first two years.
Julie looks for companies that make money from the way people use technology and have the potential to be world leaders.
“The great technology companies are great marketing companies” she believes. “Focusing on marketing, not sales, is key. Sales follow if the entrepreneurs understanding and interpretation of the market is accurate.
“Probably one of the most painful experiences I have ever had was doing the marketing for the Motorola PowerPC in the technology sector. The Motorola chips were more advanced than rival products. However, Intel had better marketing skills, and trumped Motorola.”
ECOSYSTEM ECONOMICS...
Many of Ariadne’s companies revolve around what founder Julie Meyer calls “ecosystem economics” - more collaborative models that are made possible by the lowering cost of technology.
“We were early advisers to Skype. That’s where the real consumerisation of technology started to happen,” she says. “These days, technology is so simple to use. Consumerisation in every quadrant means you have a lower cost of entry to set up companies.
“However, we have to work within that (government) channel just like we have to use that media at times. So I’m trying to be less of a sniper and more of a collaborative person.”
What does she think will be the best outcome of the election for an entrepreneur?
“It’s probably not a surprise that I’m on the Conservative side. More importantly though is not just that the Conservative Party gets in but that it has a real understanding of the role of the entrepreneur as the engine of the society.
“But both parties have some work to do on their vision for all of society, right? I think the younger generation are thinking ‘I can do this better on my own’. I think we’re seeing a social change which will change the government.”
And Julie’s plans for Entrepreneur Country are big. She explains:
“We want to grow the community and educate people and work with media people like yourself to say ‘small becomes big, start-ups change the world’: To get the message out that economic growth is going to come from small business.
“I’m arguing for an elitist system which says that entrepreneurs have a disproportional impact on society so we need to listen to what they say together.
“With all due respect to anybody else who is contributing their way through society - entrepreneurs are working longer hours, they’re taking more stress, they’re creating more jobs.”
FINALLY…
Julie’s advice to big companies in general is to be worried by start-ups. “David really wins in David and Goliath battles,” she says. “You’d better not take that person for granted and underestimate them because the mantra of every successful entrepreneur is ‘think big, start small, and move fast’.”
generation are thinking ‘I can do this better on my own’. I think we’re seeing a social change which will change the government
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I think the younger
24 - WORK
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