Future Entrepreneurs: How Is The Way That Entrepreneurs Learn Changing?
The first two versions of the web took us from being largely passive consumers of content to being active publishers of data.
Web3 gives us access to distributed solutions that allow us to own and control our data.
This mirrors and taps into the long-held attitudes and behaviours of entrepreneurs.
Future entrepreneurs will design and direct their own development destinies.
Our surveyed entrepreneurs rate “ease of access” highest among their learning data needs.
The internet continues to shape every sphere of human interaction. Each technological leap forward triggers a seismic shift in society and culture – including for entrepreneurship and entrepreneur education.
A Short History Of The Internet
Web1 was all about content. More information than we could possibly have dreamed of was suddenly at our fingertips, and society was largely happy to sit back and consume it. Our relationship with the internet was a static and simple one. We could choose from and interact with a handful of authoritative publishers.
Next up, Web2 turned every user into a potential publisher. Go forth and create, said the newly launched platforms and social networks. But Web2 didn’t quite live up to its billing as the democratisation of the flow of content. This narrative had plot holes, most notably the issue of centralised control of the data that we the consumers had created.
Cue Web3, with its focus on solving the centralisation problem. Technologies like the blockchain, crypto and tokens offer a distributed solution that allows us to create, own and control our data.
Watch Ross Drakes’ recipe, Blockchain and Brands, here.
Welcome To Entrepreneur Education 3.0
The internet’s glow-up is reflected in that of entrepreneur education.
Not too long ago, entrepreneurs in the making had few options to educate themselves. You could head to the bookstore and pick up some how-to literature, enrol in an MBA, or just start a business and learn from your inevitable mistakes. The creators and keepers of entrepreneurial knowledge were predominantly institutions of learning, with significant barriers to entry.
As content-sharing platforms and social networks came online, each of us could, for the first time, share our ideas, methods, experiences and mistakes. The barriers to creating and distributing knowledge about entrepreneurship were removed. The resulting content tsunami offered plenty of opportunities to upskill, but the volume was nearly impossible to navigate effectively. You’d have to follow a clickbait title and hope for the best.
This is Entrepreneur Education 3.0. Today, entrepreneurs have shifted their expectations away from traditional institutions to a new kind of educational environment in which they can design and direct their own development destiny. Heavy Chef research reveals that future entrepreneurs want:
To have a single, cohesive view of their learning data.
To engage with that data when and where suits them.
To design their own learning journey and rewards along the way.
Watch Simon Dingle’s recipe, Creating NFTS, here.
Top 5 Learning Data Needs
When asked how entrepreneur education content can improve to fit their busy lifestyles better, small business owners highlight needs that align with the virtues promised by Web3 technologies.
For example, 44% say their top requirement is to access their content and other educational data such as records of qualifications as easily and simply as possible. This indicates a shift away from engaging with each institution of learning individually in order to access the things they learned and validation thereof.
Learn. Do. Share.
So, what actions can we take from these insights?
Entrepreneurs: How are you upskilling yourself to understand Web3 technologies?
Educators: What incentives are in place for you to adopt a Web3 mindset when engaging with entrepreneurs?
Brands: How can you help entrepreneurs play with and test Web3 within their businesses?
This research forms part of the Heavy Chef Report on Future Entrepreneurs. You can download the full report here.
