The relationship that the startup world has to corporations, unions and the Occupy Wall Street crowd is complex. As corporate revolutionaries, entrepreneurs share a desire to change the world but the question is… into what? Legendary investor, Fred Wilson aired his thoughts on the matter.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this movement, what it means, and what it could lead to. I talked about the inevitability of this kind of thing happening in the US last spring on stage at the Disrupt conference. I’m not the least bit surprised that it is happening. But I’m struggling to figure out how I can relate to it.
…And I’ve got issues with some of the subgroups in the #OWS movement. I saw a ton of union placards in the marches uptown and that bothered me. I talked to one person in Zuccotti park on Thursday. He told me how his paycheck gets cut up. After the taxes and union dues, he’s left with very little. And what does he get for those union dues I asked? Not much.
Our institutions are failing us. The failing institutions are not limited to Wall Street. They are everywhere; our government, our political leadership, our unions, our health care system, our education system. The list goes on and on.
And yet, I’m an optimist. I see a technology revolution in full force bringing much needed change to the world. It’s not a coincidence that much of the success of the #OWS movement comes from their nimble use of technology to organize and get their word out.
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