💬 Human Excellence and Entrepreneurship

Look at that beauty, look at the peace in this place. Here in Serbia you can walk your dogs off-leash, walking peacefully. A car passes every 30 minutes, it's fabulous. People are friendly, when I pass they greet me. They've recognized me now, they wait for Milo and Nocciolino, they give them bones, gifts and celebrate when we meet. At the lake, children come to play with the dogs.

I can say one thing about Serbia: it's a country that has undergone major changes. The war, Tito, everything that happened with communism and capitalism has led to rapid transformations. These changes, in a short time, can cause a bit of destabilization; it takes time to settle down. However, here prevails a Russian philosophy, typical of Eastern countries, like Romania, which have experienced the transition from communism to capitalism. Now communism no longer exists anywhere, except in North Korea. Many believe they are still living under socialist regimes, but the reality is that states function according to a capitalist model. The people who don't understand this are the ones who will suffer, because they think that in their country the world works in one way, while in reality it works in another.

Those who instead understand the changes and what is decided from above are those who ultimately manage to pull the spider out of its hole.

You can't pull the spider out of its hole if you exist in a way that is incompatible with the world you live in, and this is the case for 90% of the population.

I've been here for a year or so, and I can say that this is a friendly country. People are simple, most activities are agricultural, and people are welcoming. Here you feel welcome. The problems that exist, as in all parts of the world, are their own problems. A person who comes here, even from Italy or Western Europe, perceives a big difference. If you desire a quiet environment, with children and safe streets, this is the right place. Belgrade can be another story, but in general, I can say that Serbs are good people.

Socially speaking, they get along well with each other, they are friendly and welcoming. Clearly, the mentality is communist, that of the workers. One shouldn't expect great excellences, and in this there is no big difference with Italy. In Italy there are some excellences, but they are limited. The real excellences are entrepreneurs, because they contribute the most to growth. In Italy, entrepreneurial excellences can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

I remember the case of Tanzi with Parmalat. At that time, he was considered a great entrepreneur, but in the end he turned out to be incompetent. The entrepreneurial excellences of the past were often linked to unethical means, to questionable strategies. Today, the era of nepotism is ending.

This may seem negative, but it is also positive because things must be earned. However, those who deserve are often very few.

In recent decades, access to many opportunities has become easier, leading new generations to seek an easy life without considering the long-term negative effects. This is a problem that affects not only Italy, but the whole world. There are a lack of people capable of contributing to growth and development.

When I returned to Italy in 2004, I wanted to bring my experiences from America, where they were twenty years ahead in marketing and multimedia. I also met important people, but I realized that in Italy we were behind. The quality of the internet connection and infrastructure was still primitive.

The point is that in Italy we are not prepared to be ready when opportunities arise. The mentality is that of "running for cover" instead of organizing ourselves to be the first. Americans, for all their flaws, are good at anticipating the times. America, despite being considered a cancer on the world, has an entrepreneurial culture that stimulates innovation.

The welfare state, which was introduced in Italy, marked the beginning of the end of our country. The culture of assistance took root, while it would have been better to promote the culture of education and work. Today, we find ourselves in a difficult situation, with too much debt and insufficient production.

Our country is one of the most indebted in Europe. The lack of individuals capable of contributing is a problem that affects not only Italy, but also other developed countries. We must promote an entrepreneurial culture and encourage people to become major contributors to social growth.

In Italy, who promotes an entrepreneurial culture? The only person that comes to mind is Briatore, who has the courage to tell young people to work to learn and become entrepreneurs. Work must be seen as a learning opportunity, not as an ideal of life.

However, in Italy, the system does not work as it should. Organizations and associations that should stimulate entrepreneurship often do nothing concrete. They don't tell the truth about the causes of the problems and they don't propose effective solutions.

If we want to solve the people's malaise, we must promote an entrepreneurial culture. We must teach people how to live and exist in the world. The entrepreneur is not an independent person, but a social entity that must collaborate with others.

When it comes to freedom, I am free to say certain things that many others cannot afford to say. The truth is a luxury that few can afford. What I do is teach how to live, because you cannot learn to be an entrepreneur without first learning to live.

The secret to entrepreneurial success lies in knowledge and preparation on how the world works.

It is fundamental to understand that the interest in growing and prospering is what distinguishes humans from animals. If we do not understand this, we will always remain behind.