Society is going through an evolution. Much like adolescence, we're beginning to question the things we once accepted, outgrow established structures and discover what we want to become next.
It's a period where things are changing, truths are coming to light and the old ways of doing things don't necessarily fit anymore. Much like going through puberty, it can feel uncomfortable. None of our clothes seem to fit, we're frustrated, and we're not entirely sure which way is up.
But there is also enormous potential in this stage of development. For founders, it presents an opportunity to experiment, explore new ideas and begin building something that could help shape the next era.
Ideas don't arrive fully formed
Evolution isn't about rejecting the past. It's about natural progression. Just as we don't remain the same person we were at six years old when we reach twenty-one, ideas and societies don't remain static either.
An idea doesn't arrive fully developed and ready to thrive. It has to go through its own evolutions before it becomes something self-sufficient.
This is particularly important when working with emerging technology. There is a difference between the technology itself and the idea behind it. Technology is often just the vessel that allows an idea to come to fruition. What matters is what that idea can actually do for us: for our personal lives, society as a whole and the planet.
It's easy to jump on the hype train when something new emerges. But there are natural progressions to things, and not every new technology or concept is necessarily the answer.
As society experiences significant external pressures, we're being forced to question established systems, leadership structures and the ways we've traditionally operated. We're figuring out what comes next with AI, politics, climate change and so many other aspects of our lives.
Much like adolescence, there is a period of questioning who we are, what we stand for and what we want to become. There is also an opportunity for greater autonomy, experimentation and freedom.
Treat your ideas like a science experiment
Think back to the kinds of projects completed at school. In economics or science classes, there were opportunities to create something, run the first trials, make mistakes and learn through the process. There were safety parameters around the experiment. It didn't have to be perfect. The purpose was to try something, understand what happened, work through the lessons and present the findings.
There is something valuable in approaching the founder's journey in the same way. What would happen if you approached your current idea as though you couldn't fail? What would you experiment with? What would you try if you weren't so attached to the outcome?
Working with emerging technology often means taking an existing concept and blending it with something new, whether that's AI, blockchain or another emerging technology. But bringing these ideas into the world involves much more than building the technology itself.
There are regulations to consider, new capabilities to understand and populations to bring along on the journey. There is the question of how an idea will operate within existing systems, how people will respond to it and what it might mean for society more broadly.
Not every experiment will become the next great success, but that doesn't mean the experience wasn't valuable.
Sometimes the thing being built is simply the stepping stone needed to learn the process, develop new capabilities or discover an entirely different direction.
Don't become too attached to the outcome
One of the biggest opportunities for founders is learning not to become so attached to the outcome of a particular idea. It's easy to convince yourself that the thing you're working on today is going to be your path to success. But what if it's simply the thing you need to build right now to learn something else?
An idea can evolve into something entirely different when new technologies emerge, when markets change or when society begins to operate in new ways.
This doesn't mean abandoning every idea when something new comes along. It means allowing yourself the freedom to recognise when something needs to change. Rather than approaching every project as though it needs to save you or become the defining achievement of your life, approach it with curiosity. There should be an element of fun in the process.
Allow yourself to experiment. Try things on, see what fits and recognise that not everything needs to become permanent.
Revisit the ideas you've left behind
As we move towards the next era, it's worth taking the time to revisit some of the ideas and projects from the past. Sometimes an idea gets neglected because something new and exciting comes along. Other times, the path simply takes a different direction, and what once seemed important gets left behind.
But that doesn't mean the idea has lost its potential. With the world changing so quickly, there may be something in the past that could be reworked, reimagined or evolved into something much more relevant for the future.
Take a look at the things you've previously explored. Is there an idea that could be developed differently today? Could it be combined with emerging technology? Could it become something that better reflects the future you're working towards?
Not everything needs to be brand new. Sometimes the next great idea is something that has been sitting there all along, waiting for the right conditions to evolve.
Building for the next era
Society is going through its own teenage years. There are growing pains, uncomfortable changes, questions about authority and moments where the old ways simply don't seem to fit anymore. But this is a necessary part of becoming something new.
For founders, it's an opportunity to experiment without becoming too attached to the outcome, revisit ideas that may have been left behind and recognise that the idea being built today might be very different from the one that eventually thrives.
Evolution is a natural progression. Change is constant, but what comes next has the potential to offer greater freedom, new experiences and opportunities that we might not have imagined yet. It's simply a matter of taking that teenage leap and becoming the people who can build the next era.
We explore more in this podcast episode: