21st Century Entrepreneurs

By Pardingtone Nhundu

How do they do it?

Entrepreneurship is starting a business or organization for any reason whatsoever as
long as there is a business. This definition brings me to a more fundamental concept of
how entrepreneurs begin. In an article I once read written by Strive Masiyiwa he noted
that, to be the best entrepreneur you need to meet a need in a society. As you strive to
eradicate, close a gap and or even develop a certain societal need your relevance is
undoubted. With an undoubted relevance a business product or service offered
automatically becomes a societal need than a luxury. At the very moment before you can
realize you are sitting on a pile of treasurer and lastly you become that treasure and
wealth you once sought for. For such a business enterprise Strive Masiyiwa is the best
example because at a time a Zimbabwean society relied on a call box and a landline
phone which was an epitome of the upper class in Zimbabwe he gave you and me a
mobile phone. In the most common instances an average Zimbabwean uses at least $3-
$10 of airtime in a week for any communication transaction. It amounts to at least $7 a
month and $84 a year multiplied by the 10 million subscribers nationwide. To the
amount please add subscribers in South Africa, New Zealand, USA, Nigeria, Austria
e.t.c. Strive Masiyiwa is virtually a walking, speaking, smiling and talking billion dollars
because he met a need.

The second group of entrepreneurs; are the accidental entrepreneurs. This group is the
one I love the most. Firstly, without knowing you can be the best solution to a society or
community. Zuckerberg and crew started an online site for a few friends at school
hoping to have fun and just show off and maybe get a few girls on the way. But before
they realized the crew is now sitting on a few billion dollars which continue to add up
everytime you log in and send a message on Facebook. Secondly, there are those just
born with a talent and later monetize it. There absolutely not aware that their
appreciated or un-appreciated talent will take them anywhere. Peter Ndlovu is
Zimbabwe’s soccer legend because he managed to monetize his talent which was born
with and at the end begin and follow the career path.

Then comes the planning entrepreneurs. Those who actually sit down and plan to be
the best of the rest and actually achieve it. Nobel peace prizes event was named after one
Alfred Nobel. The guy thought, designed and created the AK47. The gun is still the best
today even though it has some competition but it’s still a master-piece. Henry Ford and
Honda did the same and you and me today enjoy their entrepreneurial ingenuity.
To be continued……