Use Your Difference to Make An Impact | Pocket Sun | TEDxShanghaiWomen
A 25-year-old venture capital investor argues that time should be invested in leveraging one's unique difference to create global impact. She advises taking action immediately, as perfect ideas are worthless without execution, and following initial small steps to build momentum. Her personal success building a venture community demonstrates that one's difference can generate significant, lasting societal influence. ## Speakers & Context - Speaker: A 25-year-old Chinese woman from Shandong province, born and raised in Donging. - Setting: TEDx Shanghai Women. - Initial self-perception: Being an outlier in a male-dominated industry, described as being in a niche like *"the same numerical chance of becoming a professional baseball player as becoming a venture capitalist"* in the US. ## Theses & Positions - Time is the most valuable but most limited asset, with human life being approximately 900 months. - The best time investment is using one's difference to make an impact. - Ideas are worthless without killer execution. - Curiosity and the courage to take initiatives are more important than waiting for perfect conditions or assuming others will take responsibility. - The power of difference is highlighted by getting to meet people who are mavericks, passionate, convicted, and alive, and by being able to question norms (e.g., "Everyone thought I was crazy."). - The goal is to redefine the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs and investors to show the deep impact a generation can make. - We are extremely privileged because the society is more open than ever, meaning we no longer need anyone's permission to be ourselves. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Venture Capital (VC) Investor:** Profession who pitches and picks the best ideas to generate significant money within the next 10 years, specifically investing in global businesses solving tough issues. - **Difference:** The unique trait or perspective one possesses that allows for a unique form of impact. - **Resourcefulness:** The ability to think of ways to make things happen when resources are limited; thinking of ways to create something out of nothing. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Early Learning Model:** Observing entrepreneurs who didn't wait years to start, were not 100% ready, and simply *did it*, hustling and learning fast. - **Impact Creation Cycle:** The speaker identified an imbalance (low investment in female CEOs, 2.7% between 2011 and 2013) and took ownership of the problem, leading to action. - **Entrepreneurial Mindset:** A pattern of thinking that allows one to dream, act, and shape one's destiny, applicable beyond starting a business. ## Timeline & Sequence - **Life Clock:** Life is about 900 months; the speaker, at 25, has already spent 303 months. - **VC Experience:** Has been involved in evaluating opportunities for venture capital investors. - **Los Angeles Program:** Began observing entrepreneurs two years prior to the presentation. - **Early Career Observation:** Initially planned to open a bubble tea shop, which did not exist due to inaction. - **VC Discrepancy Finding:** Discovered that between **2011 and 2013**, only **2.7%** of venture capital money went to female CEOs. - **Community Building:** Started an organization on campus, starting with an event in a classroom (no budget). - **Growth Milestones:** Hosted four events within the first month; by four months, hosted the first annual entrepreneurship summit with over **500** attendees; expanded globally, hosting over **200** events; now has a global community of over **10,000** people. - **Current Investment Activity:** In the past year, partnered with Elizabeth Galbud to make **22** investments in the US and Asia, helping raise **$50 million** in funding, with **80%** of investments having women CEOs. ## Named Entities - **Shandong province** — Province where the speaker was born and raised. - **Donging** — City where the speaker was born and raised. - **Elizabeth Galbud** — Business partner involved in recent investments. - **US and Asia** — Regions where recent investments were made. ## Numbers & Data - Total life duration approximation: **900 months**. - Months the speaker has already spent: **303 months**. - Percentage of partners at top 100 VC firms who are women: **7%**. - Percentage of VC firms that never hired a woman for investment decisions: **77%**. - Proportion of VC money to female CEOs (2011-2013): **2.7%**. - Number of investments made with Elizabeth Galbud in the past year: **22**. - Total funding raised from these investments: **$50 million**. - Percentage of recent investments with women CEOs: **80%**. ## Examples & Cases - **Bubble Tea Shop Idea:** Suggested at least six ways to execute the shop (e.g., bubble tea with alcohol, bubble tea ATM machine, nightclub style). - **Early Event Model:** First event held in a classroom, attracting **40** young women who lined up outside. - **Community Growth:** Transitioned from small classroom events to an annual summit of over **500** attendees. - **Impact Focus:** Recent investments are focused on women solving tough issues like pushing gender equality, democratizing financial management, or globalizing health care. ## Tools, Tech & Products - No specific tools, tech, or products are named, beyond the general context of *entrepreneurship* and *global business*. ## References Cited - No external books, papers, or sources were cited; the speaker draws on personal experience and market observation. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Inaction vs. Action:** The speaker's personal bubble tea shop remains an unbuilt concept due to inaction. - **Status Quo vs. Change:** The prevailing system (male-dominated VC) versus the potential of diverse, passionate individuals. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The VC industry is known to be male-dominated. - Making an impact is difficult; the speaker initially thought she needed to be "better or smarter than anyone" to succeed. ## Methodology - **Self-Reflection/Critique:** Questioning personal choices (like not acting on the bubble tea idea) to drive actionable lessons. - **Market Analysis:** Researching VC funding distribution by gender over a specific period (**2011-2013**) to pinpoint systemic imbalance. - **Grassroots Building:** Starting an organization using minimal resources (free classroom venue) and organic need realization. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The primary imperative is to "Use your difference and make an impact." - The key advice is to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset: the ability to dream, do, and shape one's destiny. - Self-reflection must answer: "What legacy do you wish to leave on this world?" and "Does what you're doing now reflect who you are?" - The call to action is immediate: "if not now, when? And if not you, who?" ## Implications & Consequences - Individual potential can lead to global influence, especially when amplified by community building. - The greatest societal shift comes when marginalized groups (like women) use their collective difference to challenge established power structures. ## Verbatim Moments - *"Time is the currency we begin each day with. It is our most valuable but most limited asset."* - *"I invest in the change I wish to see in the world."* - *"There are no such thing [as being] 100% ready."* - *"Perfect ideas are worthless unless you act on them."* - *"What can I do to create a better environment for women entrepreneurs?"* - *"what matters is not your resources but your resourcefulness."* - *"Just take baby steps and learn along the way."* - *"If you have the courage to go against the world, you are already way ahead 95% of the world's population."* - *"My invitation to you is this. Use your difference and make an impact."*