A Great Year Ahead

Tim Ferris, of 4-Hour-Week fame, received an email from a long-time mentor and quoted parts of it in his blog:

While many are wringing their hands, I recall the 1970s when we were suffering from an oil shock causing long lines at gas stations, rationing, and 55 MPH speed limits on Federal highways, a recession, very little venture capital ($50 million per year into VC firms), and, what President Jimmy Carter (wearing a sweater while addressing the Nation on TV because he had turned down the heat in the White House) called a “malaise”. It was during those times that two kids without any real college education, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, started companies that did pretty well. Opportunities abound in bad times as well as good times. In fact, the opportunities are often greater when the conventional wisdom is that everything is going into the toilet.

Couldn’t agree more. Lots of challenges ahead, for sure, but a world of opportunities as well. Here we are in 2009, I hope you have a great year!