inspiration Archives - Startup Economist

Willy Wonka Inspired a Generation of Founders

Wednesday, 29 October 2025 by Paul O'Brien

He was no wizard. Magic is the soft word we use when we can’t explain how someone bends the laws of reality. Willy Wonka bent them with sugar, steel, and science. His factory wasn’t a place of spells, it was a cathedral of chemistry, a machine that turned the imagination of children into industrial-scale production.

Superman isn’t Coming

Tuesday, 25 June 2024 by Paul O'Brien

When asked if I have any mentors to whom I look up to, people tend to chuckle when I share that at the top of my list are my family and Superman. Embodying both to an extent, my earliest experience with a Man of Steel was my father, who struck me as impervious to anything,

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Starting your Dream

Monday, 20 January 2014 by Paul O'Brien

Just the other week, I had the distinct pleasure of joining Dreamit Venture’s kick-off of their spring 2014 class. The roster of incredible teams, including Cheggin, CollaborateCloud, eyeQ, Notorious, Octane Lending, Stereo, Swan, TeleCog, and UserApp, set me wondering what role dreams play in one’s success as an entrepreneur. Thinking more about the shifting role of capital and the emigration of innovation

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