Grand One 2009, a competition for the Finnish new media scene to showcase their year’s work, came and went. As we wrote earlier on, we got an invitation to partner with Grand One since they want to push the event forward every year and be on the pulse of all things digital, which is nothing short of admirable. This time being on the pulse meant to invite startups to the competition. This was the first time ever! If someone has missed (or ignored) the fact that startups have lately entred the mainstream hear in the Northern Europe and become the cool thing to do, now even they have to recognize the shift: When the marketing scene comes knocking on the door it means you have just hit the mainstreet.

This is good news for all of us. Yesterday Antti wrote about how The Economist argues that culture makes almost all the difference beyond everything else, be it incubators, university programs, smart people, VCs, all of it. This is a view that we subscribe to and consequntly aim to help create a radically optimistic entrepreneurial culture here in the Nordics and Baltics. Now, I believe we're are one step closer to such a culture of which Grand One is a very vivid, even if a small example.

Before it was cool thing say to your friends that you play in a band, now increasingly the cool thing to do is telling them you're an entrepreneur.

At Grand One we saw some of these modern day rock starts: Muxlim won the best Startup category, Eat.fi won the best Info Design category and Tripsay picked-up honorary mentions in several categories.

Congrats to all the finalists! It's nice to be in a band, but nothing compares to be an entrepreneur.

Disclosure: The writer was a judge at the Grand One 2009 Startup category

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teppohudson March 24, 2009

Intriguing post, as a former rockstar (of www.velcra.com), I definetely agree that it is cooler to be an entrepreneur. Do note that both disciplines are highly creative, include risks, require you to be social and you have to be a very good team worker.

One thing that I do hope, please always concentrate on the content, not on what sells fastest. Or it will be your demise. Never go for a "quickie".

Sami Niemelä, March 24, 2009

"It’s nice to be in a band, but nothing compares to be an entrepreneur."

actually, I quite recommend combining the best of both worlds here :)

sumppi March 24, 2009

I agree with Sami, both worlds have their benefits :)

(Now if I could only find the time to finish that EP, just too much work to be done first...)

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