Whose responsibility is it to debunk dangerous business myths in startup ecosystems?
Debunking harmful business myths is not the sole responsibility of any single stakeholder. It’s a collective duty shared across the ecosystem—from educators and mentors to investors and media.
Key stakeholders responsible:
Business educators and trainers: Schools and online courses must teach real-world entrepreneurship, including failures, pivots, and market dynamics—not just textbook success stories.
Mentors and incubators: These entities must challenge unrealistic expectations and guide early-stage entrepreneurs with honest, experience-based feedback.
Investors: VCs and angel investors should promote transparency, encourage experimentation, and not reward hype over validation.
Media and influencers: Business journalism and content creators often glorify unicorns and fast success; instead, they should highlight long-term growth, discipline, and real challenges.
Entrepreneurs themselves: Founders can share honest stories of struggles, failures, and lessons learned, helping others set realistic expectations.
Why shared responsibility is important:
It helps build a sustainable startup culture based on informed decision-making, not fantasy.
Encourages more diverse participation when myths are replaced by actionable truths.
Prevents loss of capital, time, and morale due to avoidable mistakes.
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