I never met my grandfather. He died a few months before I was born.
But I grew up hearing stories about him. He had a special talent for people and a great nose for business. He started from scratch and gradually built a company that became a benchmark in Barcelona at the end of the 20th century: SENDON. A business that ended up closing its doors more than 20 years ago.
I can imagine what he would think seeing how his company ended up. But I am much more curious to know what he would think about how we talk about entrepreneurship and company creation today.
It seems that nowadays there is only one way to undertake that deserves to be told. You have an idea, you raise capital, you grow fast, you raise more rounds, you grow again and, if all goes well, you sell the company. Preferably, before turning 40.
The metric seems to be how many millions you raise, how many millions you invoice, and for how many millions you sell.
It seems that nowadays there is only one way to undertake that deserves to be told
I also wanted to play that game. And I'm not speaking from the sidelines. I have experienced the stress of entrepreneurship. Without a sufficiently solid model, working at night and on weekends. That cash tension that burns you inside and even leads you to believe your own lies.
I don't tell all this personal cost of pursuing a dream as a drama, but I also don't think it should be idealized. Entrepreneurship is not easy and everyone lives their own path.
But I wonder why we tell so little about other forms of entrepreneurship.
Because there are other ways. You don't always have to invent the wheel. You can create companies that solve real problems, have customers willing to pay for it, and have a sustainable business model. Companies that grow little by little and advance at the pace that the business and its customers allow.
There is nothing wrong with raising capital. Nor with wanting to grow a lot. There are opportunities that need investment to become a reality and projects where speed is key. Capital can be an extraordinary tool.
The problem appears when a company that grows profitably, creates jobs, and pays taxes, seems to play in the second division because it has not raised a millionaire round or does not have a buyer in sight. As if everything else were not success stories.
I increasingly value those who build good companies
From my experience as an entrepreneur and now at the helm of Netmentora Catalunya, I increasingly value those who build good companies. Companies that create jobs, that have teams proud of what they do, and that aspire to still be here in 30 years.
Not all of them have to be unicorns. Nor do all of them have to be sold.
And yet, how many stories of these companies do we know? How many role models do we have of entrepreneurs who have built something solid for decades, without big headlines or millionaire rounds? Are their stories less interesting?
Perhaps we should start paying more attention to the impact and purpose of each company. At Netmentora, there's one metric that's sacred: the new jobs generated. It's part of our reason for being, and I believe that, with the arrival of AI, this challenge will be even greater.
In short, measuring the value a company generates. Learning to highlight other qualities of the entrepreneur's figure. Even if they are often intangible or, certainly, less newsworthy.
It's not about replacing one model with another. It's about recognizing that there is more than one path and that we don't all have to take the same one.
I'll never know what my grandfather would think of all this. But if I were to start a business again someday, I'd like to do it like him.