A few years ago, if you’d asked me how to build a business or launch a product, I would’ve mumbled something incoherent and awkwardly left the room. My journey since then has been shaped by an incredible privilege: mentorship. I’ve had the chance to learn from a group of amazingly skilled humans who’ve been building digital products and businesses for over 20 years. Their guidance didn’t just teach me about startups—it showed me the power of human connection, something I value above all else. Building a startup isn’t just about products or ideas for me; it’s about the people behind them.

Opportunity has enabled me to take on the colossal challenge of building a startup. My motivations are twofold: to create a safe place for my colleagues to be creative and to build tools that help others unleash their creativity. At its heart, it’s all about opportunity and connection—giving people the same chances I’ve had to thrive and creating spaces where ideas and relationships can flourish. Humans are inherently creative, but creativity alone isn’t enough in the world of entrepreneurship. Opportunity, sadly, isn’t distributed equally. Too often, “who you know” determines whether your ideas can thrive.

Meet "Jeff". Jeff isn’t a person but an archetype. A seemingly godlike figure who’s sold multiple businesses before turning 30, seems to know everyone, and holds the keys to opportunities the rest of us can only fantasise about. As a startup, the mere thought of meeting a Jeff is enough to spark excitement. Get a Jeff in your corner, and suddenly everything will be fine, or so we like to believe.

But what about the millions of people with brilliant ideas who will never meet a Jeff? What happens to their potential? Most of it fizzles out, buried under a system that prizes connections over creativity.

The internet has democratised knowledge, but no-code tools and AI have gone a step further. They’ve smashed technical barriers, making it easier than ever to turn ideas into prototypes or businesses. You don’t need to be a software engineer anymore. You don’t even need a huge budget.

But here’s the catch: while these tools are brilliant, they don’t solve the Jeff problem. They won’t introduce you to the people who can amplify your vision. In fact, they often add to the noise, making it harder for those without connections to be noticed.

AI brings another challenge: trust. Can you rely on its advice? Is it hallucinating? And even if it’s accurate, it can’t replace the power of a strong network. The opportunity gap remains, and with it, the world continues to miss out on untapped innovation.

Accelerators try to bridge this gap, offering mentorship, networks, and resources. They’ve created opportunities for many who might not have had access otherwise. But let’s face it—they’re not for everyone. They’re often expensive, highly selective, or geographically out of reach. For many, these barriers mean the promise of accelerators remains just that: a promise.

So, what’s the solution? How do we level the playing field?

One answer could be to rethink the accelerator entirely—turn it into a universally accessible platform. Imagine a place where anyone with an idea could access guidance, tools, and networks, no matter where they’re from. Think of it as 'ChatGPT for opportunity': a digital mentor and connector that empowers you to transform creativity into businesses.

Here’s how it could work:

1. Learn and Build: AI mentors, trained on the knowledge of seasoned experts, guide you through building a product. And these mentors aren’t exploited—they’re fairly compensated for every contribution their expertise makes. Paired with no-code tools, you can go from idea to MVP in record time.

2. Funding Through Decentralised Investors: A global network of investors evaluates ideas based on merit, not connections. Think of it as democratising access to Jeffs—a broader, fairer path to securing funding.

3. Decentralised Social Graphs for Customers: Using decentralised social networks, creators can connect directly with early adopters. It’s an ecosystem where innovation thrives, free from traditional gatekeeping.

Why Decentralisation?

Because it removes gatekeepers. In a centralised system, someone else controls your opportunities. Decentralisation hands that control back to creators. Yes, it comes with challenges like governance and scalability, but thoughtful design can address these. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s fairness.

The Jeffs of the world shouldn’t hold all the keys. By combining decentralisation, AI, and no-code tools, anyone has the opportunity to turn great ideas into thriving businesses. Success should depend on creativity and determination—not on who you know. This is the future I’m building ❤️

FYI ⭐️
I used ChatGPT to assist with the structure and grammar of this post. I used my own brain for the ideas, thoughts and writing style.

A few years ago, if you’d asked me how to build a business or launch a product, I would’ve mumbled something incoherent and awkwardly left the room. My journey since then has been shaped by an incredible privilege: mentorship. I’ve had the chance to learn from a group of amazingly skilled humans who’ve been building digital products and businesses for over 20 years. Their guidance didn’t just teach me about startups—it showed me the power of human connection, something I value above all else. Building a startup isn’t just about products or ideas for me; it’s about the people behind them.

Opportunity has enabled me to take on the colossal challenge of building a startup. My motivations are twofold: to create a safe place for my colleagues to be creative and to build tools that help others unleash their creativity. At its heart, it’s all about opportunity and connection—giving people the same chances I’ve had to thrive and creating spaces where ideas and relationships can flourish. Humans are inherently creative, but creativity alone isn’t enough in the world of entrepreneurship. Opportunity, sadly, isn’t distributed equally. Too often, “who you know” determines whether your ideas can thrive.

Meet "Jeff". Jeff isn’t a person but an archetype. A seemingly godlike figure who’s sold multiple businesses before turning 30, seems to know everyone, and holds the keys to opportunities the rest of us can only fantasise about. As a startup, the mere thought of meeting a Jeff is enough to spark excitement. Get a Jeff in your corner, and suddenly everything will be fine, or so we like to believe.

But what about the millions of people with brilliant ideas who will never meet a Jeff? What happens to their potential? Most of it fizzles out, buried under a system that prizes connections over creativity.

The internet has democratised knowledge, but no-code tools and AI have gone a step further. They’ve smashed technical barriers, making it easier than ever to turn ideas into prototypes or businesses. You don’t need to be a software engineer anymore. You don’t even need a huge budget.

But here’s the catch: while these tools are brilliant, they don’t solve the Jeff problem. They won’t introduce you to the people who can amplify your vision. In fact, they often add to the noise, making it harder for those without connections to be noticed.

AI brings another challenge: trust. Can you rely on its advice? Is it hallucinating? And even if it’s accurate, it can’t replace the power of a strong network. The opportunity gap remains, and with it, the world continues to miss out on untapped innovation.

Accelerators try to bridge this gap, offering mentorship, networks, and resources. They’ve created opportunities for many who might not have had access otherwise. But let’s face it—they’re not for everyone. They’re often expensive, highly selective, or geographically out of reach. For many, these barriers mean the promise of accelerators remains just that: a promise.

So, what’s the solution? How do we level the playing field?

One answer could be to rethink the accelerator entirely—turn it into a universally accessible platform. Imagine a place where anyone with an idea could access guidance, tools, and networks, no matter where they’re from. Think of it as 'ChatGPT for opportunity': a digital mentor and connector that empowers you to transform creativity into businesses.

Here’s how it could work:

1. Learn and Build: AI mentors, trained on the knowledge of seasoned experts, guide you through building a product. And these mentors aren’t exploited—they’re fairly compensated for every contribution their expertise makes. Paired with no-code tools, you can go from idea to MVP in record time.

2. Funding Through Decentralised Investors: A global network of investors evaluates ideas based on merit, not connections. Think of it as democratising access to Jeffs—a broader, fairer path to securing funding.

3. Decentralised Social Graphs for Customers: Using decentralised social networks, creators can connect directly with early adopters. It’s an ecosystem where innovation thrives, free from traditional gatekeeping.

Why Decentralisation?

Because it removes gatekeepers. In a centralised system, someone else controls your opportunities. Decentralisation hands that control back to creators. Yes, it comes with challenges like governance and scalability, but thoughtful design can address these. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s fairness.

The Jeffs of the world shouldn’t hold all the keys. By combining decentralisation, AI, and no-code tools, anyone has the opportunity to turn great ideas into thriving businesses. Success should depend on creativity and determination—not on who you know. This is the future I’m building ❤️

FYI ⭐️
I used ChatGPT to assist with the structure and grammar of this post. I used my own brain for the ideas, thoughts and writing style.