Every entrepreneur to some extent has to learn to take risks and the question is: how do you measure the size of the risk? And when your venture comes to endanger your life, that is already an extreme.
The expedition to the remains of the titanic It is a way of starting Ocean Gate, a company that develops technology that allows humans to explore the depths of the sea that are more inaccessible than space itself. This can only be achieved with financing from millionaires.
In their eagerness to go beyond the limits of what is established and break milestones such as going to space or the bottom of the ocean, entrepreneurs have to invest large amounts of money and do risky things.
For example, what happened in 2014 when a company spacecraft exploded Virgin Galactic of billionaire Richard Branson. It was a test flight in California, United States, in which one of the crew died and another was seriously injured.
Today the clearest case is OceanGate, which did not have another similar submarine because it is very expensive to build. Where the great feat is to enter the sea inside a submersible subjected to such strong pressure and go down to the remains of the Titanic that are 4,000 meters at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean; and then return to the surface unscathed.
OceanGate and the great unknown of humanity
In Entrepreneur.com we interviewed Jorge Zavalaelectrical engineer turned mathematician who evolved into a business developer involved in high-tech startups.
“As a result of all the search that there was for the Titan, we realized the vast ignorance that we have of what our planet is. We have maps of the moon, but we don’t know what the depths of the sea are like,” says the director of the company. latteware.
What caught Jorge Zavala’s attention is that two kilometers away from the surface you cannot have good radio communication systems. Well, he assumed that they existed and that they were of excellent quality and super simple.
I live in the United States and what is being mentioned in the news is that what happened with OceanGate is going to stop development towards the sea. But rather the question that I would ask is: or is it going to stimulate it? Because one of the things that we must take into account is that what the entrepreneur is looking for are unresolved problems.
Jorge Zavala and business developer.
The sea or space: growth opportunities
Jorge Zavala has launched more than 10 technology companies in Mexico and the United States focused on solving problems. For the past 17 years he has resided in Silicon Valley, about which he published the book “Think like Silicon Valley being anywhere” where he shares how great companies are born in a multicultural place.
“Today multiple entrepreneurs are heading towards the sea or space as an opportunity for growth. Now we see incredible things. Space X of Elon Musk, designs, manufactures and launches the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft. And Jeff Bezos with the vision that in the future millions of people will live and work in space created blue origin that works on the development of reusable transport that is safe and low cost”, he explains.
The big question is how to direct all that energy of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs? “People may believe that somehow everything is resolved on earth and it is not true. We have lots of opportunities. And it’s not about people having some economic power. Today plazian education platform has just launched into space a satellite made by its students”.
You have to take that vision that you should not have all the money to explore the sea, which is a gigantic space to be able to develop -adds Jorge Zavala-. But the entrepreneur must be sure that he is doing things well and with dedication. He has to learn to listen.
When you are going to reach the limit of the possible and the impossible, here enters a factor that to some extent is the best example. The founder of OceanGate was on the ship. He himself was willing to be part of the exploration. Unfortunately, the experience did not end well.
Jorge Zavala, author of the book Think like Silicon Valley being anywhere.
After all, maybe something similar happened when Christopher Columbus wanted to come to America. Probably many ships were also lost on the way and there were many such situations. However, you have to understand that this is part of human nature; that when you want to discover something new there is always a risk.
“Entrepreneurs really must be brave and have courage. There is much to explore. Who is going to organize expeditions in Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta or Sayulita? Not because something is dangerous it cannot be done; rather you have to know how to do the risky ”, she concludes.