I talk a lot about Internet start-ups. Not just because they are cool and exciting in mainstream way due to the movie The Social Network but more because of the power of the process. Being able to create something and sometimes quickly be able to have it have an effect on people, in some cases thousands of them. It's an experience unlike any other. You learn more about yourself and what your capable of than you could in almost any other situation. I speak about it because I know how the experience changed me, changed how i think about solving problems and how i know there is always a way to solve them. Whenever I read stories about start-ups today it makes me reflect on those things all over again. I came across and post on the business insider about students who took a class at Stanford and all creating facebook apps that had great success. When I went to the page it showed the founders of the facebook app dodgeball. The key thing for me in the picture was that one of the founders was African American.
This made me reflect again on the many talk I've given about how minorities are missing out on this revolution and how the problem is systemic at cultural level. The only thing that is bigger than that challenge is the opportunity for the change that could occur for minorities and their surrounding communities if this s introduced in the right way. To change lives, change communities and empower who new segments of people is a immense thing if you think about it. My hope with this post that some one of color reads it and says " maybe me" and possibly sees the picture and realizes that we can be involved in this revolution and decides to jump in. My push from broader internet and wireless access stems from the desire to see a new generation of people take hold the inspiration and have the tools to make things happen.
The story was sourced from a NY times article that include and audio slide that lets you hear first hang how the evolution from idea to product to company changed and inspired this group of students. It's my hope that you will share it with someone and it will inspire them.
Check out the audio slide show here http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/08/technology/210110508-Facebook.html?ref=technology