Why I Started a Business in the Midst of a Recession

I believed Martin Kilson, my favorite professor, when he told me during my junior year in college that entrepreneurs can change the world as much or more than anyone else. So over the last 15 years, from vending companies to an education firm, I have not been afraid to try building something new. I find the challenge invigorating, love working with people, and am always excited to see a new business embraced by strangers from near and far.

But even with all of that entrepreneurial energy and experience, many people balked when I told them I was going to launch a new enterprise--The Stimulist. I had just seen a two-year quest to land a talk show slip away, the recession was threatening to become a depression, and cries of journalism's death were everywhere. But with the encouragement of a few good friends--angels, really--I decided to go forth with building a unique kind of daily digital brief aimed at the Change Generation, those folks who see opportunity in the world and want to take advantage. I wanted a site that, like us, looks forward--to the next idea, the next stars, the next thing--instead of just looking backward to feed the endless loop of armchair analysis.

I could tell you that the last six months have always been a smooth, confident ride. But that hasn't always been the case. We have twice prepared to launch, only to step back at the last moment and make sure we got it right. This venture has cost real money. But I've tried to tackle it with an entrepreneur's keen eye, and with the knowledge that FedEx, Apple, HP and many other notable companies were built during economic downturns. And I'm not alone: entrepreneurs around the country have used this moment to pursue their dreams.

And today, mine launches. We're already off to a great start. We've got a tireless team of editors and contributors, Business Week wrote a profile of the site, and two major brands--AMC and Kaplan--have bet on us long before conventional wisdom types would have thought it prudent. Come click around and let me know what you think.

I believe firmly that Barack Obama is not the culmination of change, but just the beginning of a bold new era. And that's why The Stimulist is here: to chronicle the historic shifts we're seeing everywhere from finance to media, to find what is different and better, and to constantly remind us that dramatic change is not only possible but vital. Around here we like to say "snark is easy." Optimism--informed, pragmatic, reasonable optimism, but optimism all the same--takes work. That's why we're throwing our hats into the ring: to do the work of finding "what's good."

You'll find 6 new pieces of content each day: 5 "stimulants" (see the big yellow box on the homepage) + 1 listing of the fresh news of the day (see the black box). To start, we approach "news" a little differently than most. It's no secret that we're big fans of Barack Obama (to whom we affectionately refer as BHO). But we're a little weary of the hyper-liberal snark that dominates news sites these days. Each day, we scour the web for "what's good"--news from around the world that actually intrigues and inspires. You'll still get the major headlines ("Big News, in Brief")--but you'll also find 5 stories that you may not have seen elsewhere.

We also think the people and ideas that are shaping our world constitute "news." So, we offer 5 daily stimulants to keep you informed: Resolved (a quick contemplation of some interesting or provocative idea); Kind of a Big Deal (a short profile of a truly fascinating person); Good Sh*t (our team's recommendation for something fantastic to try); Flashback (a historical anecdote that illumines some present-day issue); and the C-Note (my daily blog). Stop in on your way to work, and you'll get a fresh daily picture of what's worth knowing each day. Click around throughout the day to keep up with the conversation. And send us your ideas! We don't presume to know all the interesting/inspiring people, ideas, and stuff in the world. We welcome your submissions.

Is it crazy to start a content-driven website right now? Maybe. But ten years ago, it was crazy to think that a college kid would develop a new system for human interaction, or that 140 characters would be enough to connect the world. I hope that a decade from now, The Stimulist will be not only a testament to smart entrepreneurship, but one that is successful in its mission to help the Change Generation see more and be more.

Comments

[Rhonda Wudarczyk]

Congratulations to you!
You are right who would have thought that a mere 140 words would keep us all connecting with each other on a daily basis? You are to me, a very smart person for going after your dreams and doing what you believe to be the right thing!

[PresidentRobertBooth]

Another web-business???


Good lord.

Don't people manufacture things anymore?


I mean besides American Idol contestants?

[noudidnt]

Why don't you have a show on MSNBC?

[Tanyars5]

noudidnt- no you didn't ask.....ha ha ...u know why

I will be checking out your website Carlos...it looks nice- good luck!!!

[tre]

My wife and I are thinking of some business we can do. We have a 101 other things that need to be done now. But, in the near future, we want to do some kind of business.
It'll probably need to be an internet-based store of some sort. I thought about Route 66 shirts and hats, since I am a Roadie. My Asian wife thought about Asian foods, or Asian home decorations.

But, we'll think of something.

[rucognizant]

Cudos Carlos Watson. Great Idea. I have worked for Kinko's which was started by a student, Paul Orfalea, buying a copy machine to help fund his college expenses. It expanded and grew including color copiers and rental by the hour Macintosh computers. Today Fedex owns Kinko's.
( Why I a free lance artist, was delighted to get a job there, to teach myself to use those computers and learn all the secrets of manipulating color copies. ( after the '89 recession, people could no longer afford original art but would buy prints. Those who COULD afford art, put their money into the stock market in the 90's! )
My Grandfather had 2 hardware stores....­..........­..by 1915, he had one; paint & wallpaper store (? at least that's what it was in my childhood) During the depression he did VERY well, with a mail order wallpaper business; Mainers, never living the glitzy high life, are still living off the interest on Gr GR Grandaddy's clipper ship or lumber enterprises, were our best customers! In the 80's my cousin, Who chose to run the family business, went down with it, when the trend for white walls hit Architectural DIgest!
And the Hathoway dress shirt business closed after the trend of boomer ceo's wearing Tshirts to the office, stretched out for a decade.
You have to stay agile! Unfortunately a majority of Americans are now experienced in working FOR A BOSS in a corporatio­n.........­..........­Hopefully the young can be more creative!

[cheforacle]

Thank you for your post, Carlos. I always enjoyed your innovative commentary on CNN and was sad not to hear from you as much in the last year or so. Like yourself, i believe we are living during a period of profound change of which the election of Barack Obama is just one part. The development of new technologies allowing us to communicate in real time, the new rendering of a verdict on unfettered capitalism, the reaching of a tipping point on the need to institute universal health care and meaningfully address global warming and the expansion of new rights to include gay marriage as a constitutionally protected status are signs of just the beginning of this new era. While we now must deal with the trepidation of the current economic downturn, we should not forget the advances being made in so many fields of human endeavor and the opportunity for people all over the world to share the blessings that have been, during the last century, primarily confined to the so-called "industrialized world". I look forward to going to The Stimulist, my most-recently bookmarked webpage.