Will startups bloom?

Farmers typically await the autumnal rains before they sow their seeds, planting ahead of the gloom and cold of winter. If it goes well, a crop will emerge and grow over the next few months until it is ready for harvest.

For all the ill it brings, I hope this pandemic is like perfect winter – the one we city folk don’t really like much – with consistent rain that allows farmers to get the most from their crops.

But in this case, as much as I am hopeful for our farmers, I use it as an analogy for startups.

We live in a wonderful climate for startups. Climate, skills and infrastructure are not lacking. If ever there’s a criticism it is our distance from consumer markets, but in this terrible time everyone is disconnected from their customers except online. The playing field in that regard has been levelled.

With thousands of young, educated and, in some cases, highly skilled people out of work, let’s hope they can plant the seed of a startup and make the most of this precious commodity: time.

Rarely will so many have the opportunity to immerse themselves in getting a business going, especially one that is created on a screen in front of them.

Western Australia’s ecosystem for startups is strong and I hope it is able to cope with higher demand that I expect in the coming months.

I look forward to seeing what emerges from this period of disruption to bear fruit when things improve.