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Attracting Outside

Investors: The

Entrepreneur’s Path

he United States is without question the entrepreneurial
T capital of the world.
More people start businesses here than anywhere else on
the planet, and more of them succeed than anywhere else. Of
course, it’s also likely true that more of them fail here than any-
where else. But they try, because that’s the kind of capitalistic
system we have. People know that if they try and succeed, they
will be rewarded both financially and socially. Even if they try
and fail, they know they will not be ostracized. On the contrary,
they might even get another chance. Some entrepreneurs tell
stories of several failures before they ultimately became suc-
cessful, and they tell those stories with understandable pride—
pride in their own perseverance and achievement and pride in a
capitalistic economy and political system that not only permit
but encourage that kind of effort.
Many start-up businesses, notably the technology-related
companies that were started so prolifically over the past
decade, have needed some financial support from outside

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