Start-Up Century: Why we're all becoming entrepreneurs - and how to make it work for everyone

A fresh look at the boom in entrepreneurship and start-ups - and how that will change the world of work in the coming decade.
A fresh look at the boom in entrepreneurship and start-ups - and how it will change the world of work in the coming decade.Bold, insightful and bursting with ideas, Start-Up Century explains why more of us than ever are choosing to start our own businesses. The book explores how to seize on the myriad entrepreneurial opportunities in artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology and renewable energy that lie ahead.For almost 200 years, work has been increasingly defined by ever larger enterprises, complex bureaucracies, and the corporate career ladder, with the plight of the self-employed, freelancers and tradespeople an afterthought. Today, however, record numbers of people are working for themselves, trying something new, going solo and upending centuries of tradition in the process. We're still in the early stages of this entrepreneurial revolution, with most people and countries far from ready for the shift – what will happen when most of the workforce are self-employed or working in microbusinesses? Start-Up Century tells the story of how a convergence of technological, economic and cultural changes are rewriting the rules of building a business, unleashing this new way of working, and how our financial, educational and political institutions need to change to support it.It is unashamedly optimistic. While much has been written about the negative aspects of technology and artificial intelligence in particular, Start-Up Century focuses on how it can be an empowering force, helping millions of us lead more independent lives and find dignity and meaning in our work, so long as we get the right support, the digital scaffolds, needed to take advantage of it. Authored by James Wise, the venture capitalist and technology commentator, Start-Up Century is packed with personal tales and interviews with everyone from teenage side-hustlers to the CEOs of multi-billion-dollar successes. This is a book for every aspiring entrepreneur, and anyone interested in the policy changes needed to support them.