"There are a lot of people building small ideas now. There's an idealization of being an entrepreneur, but the most important thing is to have a really great idea"

The heart of this quote is about the value of big, transformative ideas over the sheer quantity of small, less impactful ones. It’s calling out the current trend where everyone wants to be an entrepreneur because it’s seen as cool or trendy. But the real game-changer is having a groundbreaking idea that can make a substantial difference, rather than just jumping on the entrepreneurship bandwagon with something trivial.

Historically, this sentiment emerges from the startup culture that has been booming over the last couple of decades. Think about the dot-com bubble in the late '90s, or more recently, the surge in tech startups. A lot of people saw others striking gold with their ventures and wanted in. The culture started to glorify the title of 'entrepreneur'—people were more enamored with the idea of starting a company than with creating something truly innovative or useful.

Take Elon Musk, for example. He didn’t just wake up one day and decide he wanted to be an entrepreneur. He had compelling ideas—like accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy and making space travel affordable. Tesla and SpaceX weren't about being trendy; they were about addressing significant, real-world problems with visionary solutions. These big ideas didn't just disrupt industries; they revolutionized them.

So, how can you apply this wisdom? Start by not fixating on the idea of being an entrepreneur. Instead, ask yourself: What real problem am I passionate about solving? Spend time understanding the issue deeply. Talk to people affected by it. Brainstorm creative solutions. And don’t be afraid to think big—sometimes the most far-fetched ideas are the ones that end up changing the world.

Imagine you’re sitting at your favorite coffee shop, chatting with a friend. You both notice how many people are buried in their laptops, probably working on their next big app. Your friend mentions they want to start a business too. You ask them, "What kind of business?" They shrug and say, "I’m not sure yet, but everyone’s doing it. I just want to be my own boss.” You nod, understanding. But then you ask, "What’s a problem you really care about? Something that keeps you up at night?" They think for a moment and mention how their grandma struggles with remembering to take her medication.

That’s interesting, you say. Maybe instead of just creating another social media app, they could work on a solution to help elderly people manage their prescriptions better. Suddenly, you can see the spark in their eyes—they're not just thinking about being an entrepreneur anymore. They’re thinking about making a real difference.

In essence, don’t chase the title or the trend. Chase the idea, the solution that gets you excited and can bring about significant change. That’s the real power behind entrepreneurship—not the glitz and glam of being your own boss, but the impact you can make with a great idea.