Fostering entrepreneurial spirit3 reading minutes

The risk-taking that characterizes entrepreneurship enables human beings to exercise their freedom and responsibility to the full. This form of personal fulfillment, which is conducive to social fulfillment, has a special value.

It's not primarily managers or employees who create wealth. Above all, it's entrepreneurs. Like artists and scientists, entrepreneurs are inventors. And if the good or service they propose meets a need, an adventure can begin. And if the good or service they propose meets a need, an adventure can begin that will benefit both the holder of the idea and society as a whole, by generating a new offer, new jobs, the optimization of certain resources... and an opportunity for other creators to surpass it.

Entrepreneurship means taking risks. Launching yourself even if you fail. It means perseverance and patience. Investing your time even more than your money. Sometimes you have to wait for the 52^th idea for it to be the one that takes off, as in the case of of serial entrepreneur Alan Frei. Switzerland's high salaries, and the security they offer, can discourage young people from embarking on this perilous path. Only 38% of Swiss consider entrepreneurship an attractive career option - a much lower rate than in comparable economies. It is therefore crucial to consider ways of encouraging vocations.

Valuing choice and failure

Timon Zimmermann, 32, has built up two successful companies, Visium and MageMetrics, in the competitive field of artificial intelligence. For this native of La Béroche (NE), entrepreneurship is above all a lifestyle choice. «It was the desire to lead an intentional life, aligned with my personal goals, that drove me to become an entrepreneur», he confides in an interview for this special issue..

To encourage entrepreneurship, it seems essential to change mentalities by sharing real-life stories. Timon advocates a better appreciation of entrepreneurial careers in schools and society. Failure is still too stigmatized, even though it is an inherent part of being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship must be seen as a formative path, even - especially! - in the face of setbacks.

Specialization and innovation

Timon also highlights the opportunities offered by specialization. In an environment where technological giants dominate, differentiation through niche solutions is essential. In fact, this strategy is in Switzerland's DNA, where specialization is one of the secrets to success. To stay at the top of the various international rankings, our country, with neither access to the sea nor raw materials, is condemned to do better than the others.

Timon gives the example of its MageMetrics platform, which targets the data management needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This vertical approach makes it possible to find opportunities that large, generalist firms overlook.

The young entrepreneur also insists on the importance of attracting creative profiles to his own team: «A person with an entrepreneurial streak is not afraid of uncertainty and knows how to find solutions.»

This philosophy is shared by Carole Hubscher, President of Caran d'Ache. The fourth-generation representative at the helm of the Geneva-based company in this publication the importance of a work environment that gives meaning and encourages innovation.

Regulation and venture capital

Structural challenges remain. In Switzerland, access to venture capital remains an obstacle for young companies, although things are more nuanced and there are grounds for hope. Investors prefer to wait for a proven model before investing heavily. This must finally change, as must the unfavorable framework conditions for start-ups.

The February 29 opening of this special edition, with entrepreneurs Etienne Jornod, majority shareholder of MO Pharma, and Léa Miggiano, co-founder of Carvolution, sharing their experiences. (read the interview) marks the cornerstone of the «Esprit entrepreneurial» project led by Schweizer Monat and Le Regard Libre.

Graduate in philosophy and journalist by profession, Jonas Follonier is the editor-in-chief of Regard Libre.

You have just read an open-access editorial from our operation «Entrepreneurial spirit» in our supplement «Vive l'esprit d'entreprise!Le Regard Libre special issue N°5).