on small-c capitalism

[adularia]

Somehow or other, probably at Monochrom's urging and Bryony Gomez-Palacio's writing, it occurred to me that in the American school system we are groomed basically from elementary school onward that we will someday have a career, meaning get a job, and we had best learn the rituals of that starting roughly in sixth grade

Comments

[novalis]

I think it's actually much harder to start one's own business -- at least a semester course would be required. It requires understanding enough economics to set prices, enough law to not get screwed, enough marketing to find clients, and enough of some specific field to have something to offer.

That said, I think I would rather have people have the option to take that course instead of physics, American history, yet another English course, calculus, etc.

Also, without some amount of startup capital, many businesses are very difficult to start. So I think these courses would help rich kids more than poor kids.

[adularia]

All good points, and yeah, I don't necessarily think people should be pressured to start businesses as 18-year-old high school graduates or even as new college grads -- I just wish something like that were available.

Such a class should of course describe how to access/amass startup capital, to the extent that it can make a difference.

[novalis]

There's Paul Graham's Startup School. He's kind of a nut, but might have good ideas.

[dymaxion]

He has some good ideas, but it's all pretty specific to software startups. While some of the same scaling factors do apply to other kinds of companies, these days, the model he talks about doesn't apply as well to companies that make real objects, especially when they're objects of design, not electronics, as scaling works very differently.

[cow]

I have been told (and we all know the value of anecdata, so) that the actual elite prep schools in the Northeast -- like, for the rich and seriously rich -- actually are more exercises in this sort of thing. You are taught that you are going to lead, and command power, and also taught to socialize among the other rich.

I do wonder what a difference it makes, starting young and building that level of classist division. I suspect: a lot more than my idealistic mind would imagine.

[ilmarinen]

Interesting issue--I think a basic grasp of economics of small business *and* personal finances (is that micro economics then?) would be valuable for everyone. It should be part of the basic core taught to high school and/or college students. Even in my professional life, most folks don't understand the basics of correct payback calculations, etc.

While small businesses are valuable, and I'm glad to work for one, I've very little interest in starting one. For many industries, there is some minimum size of economically viable business.

I am upset by how much schools are about producing workers and consumers vs. citizens. I'm not sure that means I want *more* emphasis on entrepreneurship training, but definitely want more independent thinking, etc.

But then I'm shocked by how much more American schools are already that way than say, German schools. Or is my impression from those who know those systems. Many places, one is on a track for one's "place in society" by jr. high. Which is very foreign to me.

-B.

[pauldf]

Hmm. The main thought that comes to mind at least partly an awareness/outreach/networking issue. I think. The Small Business Administration is there, and from what I've heard now and then, it seems to work well for some cases. However, I think I only learned that from reading newspapers growing up. I hope that one of the things they do is help small-business owners sort out how to do taxes, accounting, payroll, insurance, and such. I don't know whether they're set up to handle self-employed people, but it seems like a natural fit.

It seems like it wouldn't be hard to add to a high-school curriculum some discussion about how small businesses, including self-employed individuals, fit into our economy.