The Media Feedback Loops That Shape Entrepreneurship

One of my most vivid childhood memories involves a movie. I was probably seven or eight years old when my parents and I found ourselves glued to the TV, captivated by the story of two young men whose rivalry and vision would come to define the digital revolution. One of them was brash, with long, brown hair and a penetrating gaze that instantly commanded respect. The other was quiet, with big glasses, and dressed like a 1970s version of my dad. Yet, he was no less determined. Both of them seemed to see something no one else saw and their eyes would light up whenever they saw random-looking sequences of zeros and ones. They knew they were creating the future. It was exciting, inspiring, and I instantly knew I wanted to be like them. 

The movie was Pirates of Silicon Valley. It follows the rivalry between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates as they set out to put a personal computer in everyone’s home.  

In the years that followed Jobs and Gates became my heroes and role models. Hearing their names associated with defining the future was exhilarating. By the time I graduated from college my list had expanded to include people like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Larry Paige. 

This time also coincided with the seeds of a cultural shift: Ellen Pao was suing Kleiner Perkins for sexual harassment, data around VC funding for women was becoming available and many seemed to think that the gap was related to lack of female role models in tech. It was at that point when it hit me: none of the people I looked up to looked like me. 

Hearing the stories of these founders told countless times in multiple media outlets had inspired me to pursue a career as a tech entrepreneur. But for every girl who was inspired there were countless others who got a different message: “you don’t belong here”.

The stories that have come to epitomize entrepreneurial success usually center around the same type of character: young, an Ivy League or Stanford dropout who can code in their sleep, most often white and male. Founders who fit this archetype have received disproportionate media attention over the years, oftentimes becoming household names in the process. This has inspired countless young people—mostly men—to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. 

This raises the question: how can we create equally powerful role models for women and people of color? 

The stories we tell have the power to shape our world. They can inspire, empower and motivate us. Creating notable role models who don’t fit the aforementioned archetype starts with storytelling. If we heard more stories about successful founders who don’t fit the Silicon Valley mold, we could inspire a new, more diverse generation of entrepreneurs and create wealth for communities that were previously left behind.