Raja Jasti’s Blog - Renaissance Thinking

Here is some startup inspiration on friday morning.

Time has a very nice article on the great opportunites that lay ahead for entrepreneurs starting companies in these dark times. These bleak times also come with some nice advantages. As I wrote in my imagine manifesto, we are at the dawn of a brave new world. All you need is a bit of imagination.

It’s time to stop whining. The economy might be melting down like a pat of butter on a hot Hummer roof, but for some people — you, maybe? — this could be a very good thing.

Here’s why. At no other time in recent history has it been easier or cheaper to start a new kind of company. Possibly a very profitable company. Let’s call these start-ups LILOs, for “a little in, a lot out.” These are Web-based businesses that cost almost nothing to get off the ground yet can turn into great moneymakers (if you work hard and are patient, but we’ll get to that part of the story).

How do you get started? All that’s required is a great idea for a product that will fill a need in the 21st century. These days you’d do best if your idea either makes people money or saves them money.

And launching now will make your company stronger later — you’ll learn to survive on fumes until the economy improves.

So what are you waiting for? Go create something.