Getting Past First World Problems
“I don’t understand why poor kids, ghetto kids, don’t do startups to get out of poverty”
“Your privilege is showing”, a common remark that I would overhear people say in college. Without a doubt all of us display our privilege without realizing it to varying degrees.
Startups require time, energy, and especially money. Since when do startups guarantee success? Many people aren’t able to use their time for much else than to make ends meet. Some of my personal friends in high school and college had academic/attendance problems because they had to support their family financially. A couple of those friends were even the breadwinners of the family, so the financial challenges of running a startup would be out of the question.
Joshua Ellis indicated that the tech industry passes innovation as reiterative solutions for “first world problems” such as apps to that “let you hire a private car to get from SFO to Moscone Center, without all that tedious horror of actually hailing a cab”.
We avoid bigger societal problems, because it’s not the “cool”, we don’t understand, or even empathize. Unfortunately the lack of empathy leads to an out of sight, out of mind mentality. As professionals (UX or not) who are supposedly innovating and creating disruptive products, I wonder how much progress we have created in communities that are most in need? How can we claim to have empathy, if many of us don’t even take a moment to listen to those in true need?
Ways to Step Out of the “First World Problems” Mindset
Observe your community, or one nearby. - I find that jotting down at least one new observation a day is really helpful. The realities of a low-income immigrant community have always been a part of my life, but writing it down makes me realize that the bad parts don’t have to be that way. If you travel, don’t just be a tourist. - Spend time with locals as much as possible and learn about them. It may be paradise for you, but for them it might not be. Ultimately your trip will be much more fulfilling, and you might get to see the cool local spots.
Mentor those that truly need it. - My best mentors guided me, provided opportunities, and connected me with others, but never held my hand throughout. They never expected anything in return, but they always mention how much they learned and were humbled by the experience. I will forever be grateful for their time and dedication.
A little time goes a long way - I’m not suggesting everyone drop what they are doing just to help. Yet, I think we can all pitch in from time to time to serve the community. Anything from volunteering for a day to creating a product like mFarm.
“Their product (mFarm) is an SMS-based app that allows Kenyan farmers to receive the current market value of their crops, because even though 90% of Kenyans have mobile phones, almost none have smartphones. It’s all candy bars. mFarm isn’t hot and sexy. It’s not the kind of thing that generally gets a Valley VC to reach for their wallet. But it’s changing the agricultural economy of Kenya. It’s genuinely innovative, genuinely disruptive.” - Joshua Ellis
Remember to keep others in mind, because the world could always use change. Always continue to learn not just hard skills, but about the world around us.
Thanks to Joshua Ellis for posting Inspire Talk, and hopefully creating long term dialogue.