The road less travelled, Intro
This is the first of several posts on the reasons why the “beaten path” misses so many places and concentrates in the well-known geographical markets:
- Poor entrepreneur
- Poor investor
- Poor market
Being my first post, I think some ground rules (or caveats) are in order:
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My experience is limited to the American continent. Though I imagine that much of what I have to say may apply to most “southern” markets in Africa and Asia, and, that from time to time I may use data from those markets to make a point and/or imply that what I have to say extends to those markets, my experience is bounded by the New World.
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Generalizations help analysts reach useful conclusions. Of course there are exceptions to any simplification (it wouldn’t be that if there weren’t). I mean no slight or disrespect, nor undue glorification to anyone. Readers of this blog are adults with intelligence and an ability to take the good and discard the rest.
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Disclaimer: it wasn’t me, I didn’t mean it, I wasn’t there. If you can prove the contrary, dock my pay. Furthermore, I am not a lawyer and have no legal training – when I write about legal matters, I do so from my limited exposure and my personal experience. If you do something because I told you to and it turns out badly, tough (but if it turns out well, send me my cut).
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I can change my mind and edit my posts – get your own blog if you don’t like it.
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Because this is a space where I can vent or procrastinate, I’m leaving a series of “notes to self” on future topics – that way I don’t have to struggle with writer’s block when I have something more important that I should be working on.
- I’m biligual. Though most of the time I will write in English, once in a while, especially when I think that non-English readers may benefit from my effort, I will write in Spanish. This is not to be interpreted as a slight on either language or you.
I’ll add more of those as I come up with them.
Ok, on to what I have to say.
What do we mean when we say “mainstream markets”?
When we talk about the financial food chain (to simplify: angel, VC, PE, banking, stock exchange) , it is a foregone conclusion that the “real” money is in the US (see rule #1 – I know that there are financial centers outside the US in Europe and Asia; so do you), though some can be found around the major economic hubs throughout Latin America, the real deal belongs to “los gringos”. They’re better organized, informed, protected, and, principally, funded. But is that all?
No. They’re also collocated with major user/consumer markets AND major centers of entrepreneurial activity.
Hence the road map – if you’re looking for solid growth and returns, you need great entrepreneurs, fantastic investors, and hungry markets. Take even one of those away and you’ll struggle.
Next up, the Poor entrepreneur…
