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An entrepreneur teaching Japan how to take more risks

30 points by tagawa 11y ago

tagawa 11y ago
"His parents never actually said how long they wanted him to be a doctor for - just to be one." Nice example of finding and exploiting a loophole!
lazyjones 11y ago
I didn't see anything about "taking risks" in the article. He's helping young entrepreneurs overcome obstacles like age discrimination and to succeed with their business plans. His own personal history is one of honing his own skills and finding meaningful ways to use them. This whole "entrepreneurship = taking risks" narrative is getting a little out of hand lately. First and foremost, entrepreneurs should have a worthwhile business idea and the skill and capabilities to assess and realize it. Confidence in doing so comes with skill. Taking risks is for the casino, or for investors who lack the means to evaluate a business proposal.
- surge 11y ago
  He deviated from the safe expected route of being a doctor, even after he was one, and started his own business or had side enterprises. That's seen as very risky, albeit he had a huge safety net when he decided to do so given he already had enough money to retire. It's not so much about taking risks as being in a position to take risks.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- paulhauggis 11y ago
  Businesses with the least risk also usually are extremly competitive and offer the least amount of profit.
ClintEhrlich 11y ago
Am I the only one troubled by the implicit racism within this article? :-/
- nugga 11y ago
  I'm curious, what exactly are you talking about? There are some pretty prevalent cultural attitudes in Japan with regards to toeing the line or knowing your place. Not to mention aversion to failure, saving face, and all that. edit:typo
  - TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
    The notion the Japanese need to be 'taught' to take risks, that they don't take risks.
    - Archio 11y ago
      Read surge's comment. There is a difference between culture and race and I don't understand why some people are incapable of separating the two.
  - mikekchar 11y ago
    The BBC has a bit of a history (in my opinion) of zeroing in on the cultural differences between Japan and the UK and highlighting mavericks who go against the grain and "save" Japan from itself. I have a history of complaining about it ;-) Having said that, apart from the title ... and the decision to run the article at all ... I don't really see much that fits the mould here. Actually, I would say that Mr. Saito is very Japanese in the views he expresses in the article. I was actually surprised that he was raised in the US. It's the kind of thing that I wish more westerners understood about Japan. But why did the BBC print this article? They seem to be trying to imply that he is not acting in a Japanese way and that Japan needs to be taught something new. If so, I would say that they are wrong on both accounts (well, every culture can benefit from learning something new -- Japan is not different from other countries in that respect).
- surge 11y ago
Hackernaut 11y ago
Whats going to be africa s fate

30 points by tagawa 11y ago

"His parents never actually said how long they wanted him to be a doctor for - just to be one." Nice example of finding and exploiting a loophole!

lazyjones 11y ago

I didn't see anything about "taking risks" in the article. He's helping young entrepreneurs overcome obstacles like age discrimination and to succeed with their business plans. His own personal history is one of honing his own skills and finding meaningful ways to use them. This whole "entrepreneurship = taking risks" narrative is getting a little out of hand lately. First and foremost, entrepreneurs should have a worthwhile business idea and the skill and capabilities to assess and realize it. Confidence in doing so comes with skill. Taking risks is for the casino, or for investors who lack the means to evaluate a business proposal.

surge 11y ago
He deviated from the safe expected route of being a doctor, even after he was one, and started his own business or had side enterprises. That's seen as very risky, albeit he had a huge safety net when he decided to do so given he already had enough money to retire. It's not so much about taking risks as being in a position to take risks.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
paulhauggis 11y ago
Businesses with the least risk also usually are extremly competitive and offer the least amount of profit.

ClintEhrlich 11y ago

Am I the only one troubled by the implicit racism within this article? :-/

nugga 11y ago
I'm curious, what exactly are you talking about? There are some pretty prevalent cultural attitudes in Japan with regards to toeing the line or knowing your place. Not to mention aversion to failure, saving face, and all that. edit:typo
- TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
  The notion the Japanese need to be 'taught' to take risks, that they don't take risks.
  - Archio 11y ago
    Read surge's comment. There is a difference between culture and race and I don't understand why some people are incapable of separating the two.
- mikekchar 11y ago
  The BBC has a bit of a history (in my opinion) of zeroing in on the cultural differences between Japan and the UK and highlighting mavericks who go against the grain and "save" Japan from itself. I have a history of complaining about it ;-) Having said that, apart from the title ... and the decision to run the article at all ... I don't really see much that fits the mould here. Actually, I would say that Mr. Saito is very Japanese in the views he expresses in the article. I was actually surprised that he was raised in the US. It's the kind of thing that I wish more westerners understood about Japan. But why did the BBC print this article? They seem to be trying to imply that he is not acting in a Japanese way and that Japan needs to be taught something new. If so, I would say that they are wrong on both accounts (well, every culture can benefit from learning something new -- Japan is not different from other countries in that respect).
surge 11y ago

Hackernaut 11y ago

Whats going to be africa s fate