What can Kenya do to prepare the next generation of business moguls?
We need to deliberately nurture entrepreneurs from an early age.
What you need to know:
- Prodigies in various fields have excelled due to their enterprising nature.
- How can the country help develop the next wave of entrepreneurs?
Some years ago, an American writer published a book on the young entrepreneurs who were taking the world, especially from the US – by storm. While gathering material for the book, Upstarts, Donna Fenn was impressed by how young the tech savvy individuals were, yet they had created notable outfits from scratch.
One of these upstarts was a 14-year-old, who, during his meetings with top executives of prestigious fashion firms, dressed in an oversized coat to appear older in an effort to prompt the prospective clients to view him as a serious businessperson. He hoped they would focus more on his web-designing ability.
The first two clients who granted him an appointment dismissed him outrightly, wondering whether the boy had even reached puberty. His dressing couldn’t hide his youthfulness.
Yet at the end of his tour, the young man did manage to convince one client to invest in him, and walked away with a contract worth $30,000.
This young man, who the author interviewed, is among the many entrepreneurs aged 20 or below, who had founded bona fide firms.
Right here in Kenya, the story of how Daniel Kamau (or DK wa Maria as he is popularly known), confirms that when it comes to exploring talent, age is nothing but a number.
DK, a famous musician from Central Kenya, loved the guitar from an early age – at nine years. However, being so young, he wasn’t allowed to touch his elder brothers’ guitars. His passion for this instrument was too much to contain though. When his brothers were away, he would secretly strum their guitars, and that effort paid off handsomely.
While still a student, he became the first in his family to record an album that had popular 1970s hits such as ‘Chiru murata’ and ‘Jane Macyline’. These numbers were played over and over in entertainment places when the juke box reigned.
DK later plunged into politics and became a councillor in Murang’a, while continuing with his music career.
Generations have had such individuals who aggressively pursue what their heart drives them towards. Prodigies in various fields have excelled due to their enterprising nature.
Almost every other day, prospective entrepreneurs hit the road with ideas that they think will impress crowds and earn them a living. Some succeed, others fail even before the first anniversary, however, as much as that drive appears inborn, maybe it is possible to nurture entrepreneurs from an early age.
Could people like DK have thrived much earlier if they were introduced to the guitar formally even as young as four? Could he have done even much better were he presented with a toy guitar on their first birthday?
Does the country need an academy – not just incubation centres – that encourages the young to try out their ‘crazy’ ideas and see whether these are worth taking a risk on?
How can the country help develop the next wave of entrepreneurs? What does the country need to prepare the next generation of business creators?
