Are you a first-time founder? No need to ask for permission
Waiting for approval is the fastest way to become irrelevant.
“The people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
— Steve Jobs
When I started my first venture, I didn’t have the credentials or permission to become the founding CEO of what would become a global consumer electronics company.
We had an idea—and the unreasonable conviction that it needed to exist.
Today, after years of building companies, mentoring founders, and reflecting on my own experiences, I can say with clarity: The future belongs to the permissionless.
Not to those who wait to be picked.
Not to those who wait for conditions to be perfect.
Not to those who wait for “readiness.”
But to those who decide they are ready because they made a move.
Waiting is the old game.
The systems of the 20th century taught us to wait:
Wait for degrees.
Wait for credentials.
Wait for promotions.
Wait for market validation.
Wait for investors (or someone) to tell you it’s time.
But the world we live in now doesn’t reward waiting.
It rewards movement.
Vitalik Buterin didn’t wait for a finance degree to launch Ethereum at 19.
Sara Blakely didn’t wait for a fashion background to build Spanx into a billion-dollar brand.
Melanie Perkins didn’t wait for a Silicon Valley invite to build Canva into one of the world’s most important creative platforms.
They weren’t picked.
They picked themselves.
They became permissionless founders, and the world had no choice but to adapt around them.
The Cost of Waiting
Every year you wait to start, the terrain gets harder:
AI evolves faster than your credentials.
Climate volatility worsens.
Supply chains become more brittle.
Institutional trust erodes further.
The systems that might have validated you are becoming irrelevant.
And by the time you feel “ready,” the opportunity will have moved on.
People who didn't wait fill the gap between now and the future. We each get to decide which side of that line we stand on.
Permission Is a Trap
Here’s why waiting for approval is lethal:
Markets move faster than committees.
Capital moves faster than accelerators.
Innovation moves faster than regulation.
If you want to build something civilization needs—whether in AI, energy, biotech, education, or climate—you can’t wait for anyone to sign off on your vision.
You have to see what’s needed before it’s obvious. And you have to move toward it before you’re invited.
Richard Branson understood this when he launched Virgin Records out of a church crypt—with no industry experience, label connections, or blueprint.
Melanie Perkins understood this when her university project became one of the fastest-growing design platforms in history.
Permissionless builders shape the world while everyone else waits for clarity.
Here’s the skillset you need in 2025 and beyond—not just to survive, but to matter:
See what’s missing — Not what’s popular or validated.
Start before you’re ready — Action creates readiness, not the other way around.
Ignore gatekeepers — They’re lagging indicators, not leading ones.
Write your own credibility — Through the product, through action.
The world doesn’t need more applicants.
It needs more architects.
How to Start
If you’re sitting on an idea, here’s a path you should consider:
You don’t need:
A VC intro
An accelerator stamp
An MBA
You do need:
A first customer
A prototype (even if it’s ugly)
A public narrative (“Here’s why this matters”)
A bias toward visible progress (demos > decks)
Start with the version of the idea you can build in a week.
Ship something imperfect.
Collect proof that the world wants it.
Then build again.
Movement compounds.
Momentum compounds.
Credibility compounds.
Waiting does not.
Go First
The people who shape the future are rarely the ones who wait for a green light. They are the ones who lit a fire and ran toward it.
They didn’t start because they had permission. They started because they believed something better was possible—and dared to make it real.
You are allowed to build.
You are allowed to lead.
You are allowed to shape systems instead of being shaped by them.
You don’t need anyone to say yes first.
The future is up for grabs.
Claim your piece of it.
Yon
👋 Hello! My mission with Beyond with Yon is to ignite awareness, inspire dialogue, and drive innovation to tackle humanity's greatest existential challenges. Join me on the journey to unf**ck the future and transform our world.
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AI assistants were used to help research and edit this essay.