issue - 10
We Are the Young Americans
A lot has happened since the earliest incarnation of the Net, but one thing is for sure -- the Americans still control it. They own the global bandwidth. They also own a huge portion of the much-coveted eyeballs, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to retain these. Every country on the connected planet is developing indigenous content to build and keep their own subscriber base.
There are many effects from the Americans stranglehold. One of the most basic is the bastardisation of the English language. Check out many Irish sites and you'll find spellings like 'center' and 'accommodation'. So how long before terms like 'garbage' or 'sidewalk' become common currency? American business-speak also seems to be making a serious impact also, with expressions like 'exit mechanism' - where the business plan details when and how to sell, pre or post IPO! So, the whole concept of approaching a new venture is gradually being turned on its head.
Ireland is a small planet. People know people. Gossip travels at rocket speed. There has been a huge negative label attached to directors whose businesses failed, regardless of the reasons. Aside from the pride-suffering aspects, there exists a level of corporate humiliation. Who else but the Americans could turn this around and alter perceptions? The new approach has become 'if your gonna fail, fail fast.' U.S. investors no longer operate a blanket blacklisting. Instead, the more optimistic approach is taken. Business people who have failed, are less likely to make the same mistakes again. They are now viewed as a safer bet the "second time round."
Knocking fallen heroes has been part and parcel of being Irish for decades if not centuries. Our appetite for 'begrudegary' is famous. It's a no-brainer to see that the optimistic US approach is something that the Irish would be wise to embrace. America has not become such a rich and powerful nation by accident. It researches successful models and then replicates them. If you disagree, then why are franchises proving so successful? When was the last time you heard that a McDonalds / Dunkin Donuts / 7 Eleven went bust? Probably never, which is what I am getting at. It's the same on the Net. The US has been cute to know that those that control the bandwidth and eyeballs would win on the global stage.
People the world over have dabbled with the Net, yet the US approach has overall been highly focused. You only have to look at the busiest sites on the Web to see what I mean. No surprises here: they include the two main browser players (Microsoft & Netscape), the main search tools (yahoo, excite, altavista etc), the best known digital brands (yahoo, amazon, ebay etc). I am not saying for a moment that the U.S. have some magic Midas Touch. Many US companies have ploughed serious dollars into the Net only to lose it. But that said, they often get it all back the "next time round." They learn from their mistakes, and they learn fast!
Ireland's business culture is now changing at a rapid pace. We are becoming more savvy, and we're on the look out for winning formulas. Being able to add that Irish angle is what sets us apart. Unfortunately, in the investment area, Ireland has been lacking in foresight when it comes to indigenous start-up's. We throw money at foreign players who choose to set up on these shores. Very enticing carrots I might add! Yet when it comes to domestic start-up's, funding and support is usually thin on the ground. This pattern is also gradually beginning to change, more so from private investors than from state sources. There is of course solid business logic behind this reticence to finance local start-ups. A huge proportion of them fail, often due to lack of experience in running a business. The idea might be sound, but broad skillsets are required to start, grow and develop a business. However, in the US a solid business plan is enough to secure substantial initial funding. VC advice can prove very right or wildly wrong. The choice of VC is paramount. Those with experience in the Net arena are the obvious choice. Often their advice and structuring are essential to that winning formula. Some start-up's spend years finding their way. With the correct advice, a slightly different approach to a net venture can be the difference between years of struggle or fairly instant success.
What we need in Ireland is incubation centres where clutches of Net ventures who are all housed together can come up with the goods. "Success breeds success" and all that. If we had a Net Village I am confident that new ideas would make it to the market far sooner.
So is this all bad? Is this all good? What do I wish for?
One thing that has always endeared me to the Americans is the "blinding optimism" they are instilled with. Being possessed of the will to win is a great way to approach life. Motivational speakers are viewed as gods (Zig Zigglar, Brian Tracey etc.). Self-help books on how to control your destiny are best-sellers. While there is no generic formula to life and how to live it, thank god, most humans desire similar things on their journey. Thus a huge industry has emerged in the States which tries to offer this manual to life. Talking tapes are used by loads of entrepreneurs the world over as a means to bettering themselves, whether they be driving in traffic, on a plane or wherever. I guess the difference is that most people are too busy to stand back and think 'what do I want, am I fulfilled, is material wealth delivering what I expected?'
America actively encourages entrepreneurship. It's part of the American way of life. Speak to the vast majority of Americans and they will freely express their unshakeable self-belief and will openly state that they will, or are in the process of, building an empire. It's very refreshing to witness that indelibly etched optimism. Because these people believe it, they are far more likely to achieve it!
This reverts to the education system. Ireland is still very traditional in it's beliefs and approach. Notions of a 'job-for-life' are only now passing. In the U.S., "continuous education" and multiple career paths have become the norm. When I think back on school days, it is the *wild cards* or those branded by teachers as the "no-hopers" who are today the one's that shine in the commercial world. So is it a psychological trick? If you are told enough times that you will "amount to nothing" and if by chance you are possessed with an ounce of noose, is your struggle to turn this negative into a positive and prove them all wrong what makes the difference? I believe that the argument carries some clout. Crises in self-confidence usually stem from a particular source, be it educators, parents, peer groups. They are the obvious choices to point the blame at.
In school, pupils who show a flare for business should be encouraged. This doesn't necessarily mean "higher education". A large percentage of the most successful people in the world left school early. It would be great if 'Be your own Boss' subjects were introduced in schools here. Courses where concepts and business plans were discussed and evaluated. Pupils would also benefit enormously if they had to do regular presentations. Some of the most confident Irish speakers were on their school debating team. The ability to speak well on a public platform can seriously increase your business potential. When was the last time you heard an American fluff a presentation, or see one who didn't appear comfortable being on the podium? We have a lot to do to make our education system ready for the future.
On the net, whilst so many people have placed all their focus on selling goods online, being the next Amazon etc., U.S. companies were thinking ahead and redefining the game. Ecommerce has now morphed into Ebusiness, and they're drawing a distinction between b2b (business-to-business), and b2c (business-to-consumer). With researchers predicting that as much as 80% of the value of ebusiness by 2003 will be b2b, then the ludicrous hype surrounding the Amazon's will at last recede. But it's in the area of savings and altering "processes" that America really shows the true virtues of the Net as a business medium. U.S. corporations are the ones most visible in forging ahead. Call centre estimates for processing orders via the Web as opposed to telephonically are rated at about 20% less expensive. Imagine the savings for the Dell's and Gateway's if this estimate is accurate. Serious money. At Intel's Dublin seminar in late '99, it was stated that they had issued a warning to suppliers that if they were not geared up for e-procurement within two years they would no longer be suppliers. Talk about a seismic shift! They are driving the future of ebusiness. Embrace or die! I've got to say, I admire that stance. Although Intel have a serious presence in Ireland they are a U.S. corporation, but I do not hear Irish empires making similar brave pronouncements. Herein lies the difference -- vision. Being able to view the medium for all the benefits it has to offer, not simply focusing on how to "shift more product." That's future vision.
I do hope the Irish retain their unique sense of identity. But that said, there are aspects of the U.S. approach to life that we would be wise to embrace -- sooner rather than later. If we are to remain competitive. If we are to remain "tigers". So until next time, "have a nice day, missing you already, and this Bud's for you!" :-)
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Frank Cronin's article first appeared in CommsToday
<http://www.commstoday.com> Frank is the founder of the Virtual
Irish Pub <http://www.vip.ie> and CEO of the Irish Internet
Assocation <http://www.iia.ie> He can be reached at
<mailto:frankcronin@iia.ie> and on 01-495-2265
To view a more complete biography, click on Authors in our top menu bar.