Spark Generation: making the bridge

Every day we are flooded by an overwhelming amount of motivational and inspirational speakers, mentors and coachers. In Portugal, there is this particular story of a guy named Miguel Gonçalves. His ideas, declarations, attitudes and mode of communication, are pretty much debatable. However the purpose of this article is not to talk about particular situations of the past, when Miguel shot himself in the foot, with comments intended to be inspiring, provocative… but that ended up "lost in translation", totally misinterpreted and questionable in value! 

The point that I want to make herein is simple. Only time allows us to look back and distinguish those who “Talk”, from those who actually “Do”! The story of Miguel, is a story of a Doer.

A fact that I find particularly interesting and I have seen applied in many different ways, has to do with a very simple way to trigger a person to answer to its own questions. Indeed, a good part of the solution is to confront the person with more questions! This prompts people to be mentally more proactive and think back about their own initial questions, when discussing about e.g. existential struggles and live choices. For these ones in particular, all of us tend to prefer relying on a definite and secure answer given by others, to ensure our own happiness! Miguel was (is) a good teacher and, in addition, a great storyteller. Some years ago, it was clear that he knew the importance of making people ask themselves their own questions!... and then, he learn how to ask them even more! I believe his journey (the more public one) started with this in his hands… and then he hustled!

Naval Ravikant, Co-founder of Angel List, a platform matching investors with early stage startups claims that “The number of startups is only limited by human ingenuity and the market’s ability to absorb them.” On the other hand, Reid Hoffman, Co-founder of Linkedin, discusses in his book “The Start-up of You” an interesting (and complex) philosophy of how each of us should consider ourselves our own Star-up; invest on us and deal with our stakeholders (e.g. family, friends, contacts, network…) as if we would be managing a company… “Our Self”! I would risk claiming that, to certain extend Miguel and his venture Spark Agency, have been joining these two paradigms and have actually brought an impactful “spark” to the Portuguese “personal entrepreneurial” arena.

I remember, back in 2011, the Spark venture (wait…! SPARK VENTURES… Look, great name for a company, no!?) and its activities were starting to be promoted by Miguel on the media. At the time, in a documentary about his motivational and inspirational talks, shot by a national television station, I remember a scene, with Miguel on the phone, I believe with someone from his company and he was all stressed out because one of his talks had been cancelled (I believe this was it!); I remember one particular quote of Miguel, that was something like: “They did what??... What do they do not understand?... This is all I have!!...”. It was pretty clear that, at the time, Miguel was struggling for his own job, for his own dream and his talks were his main asset!

Today, Miguel's achievements are clear. He has paved his own path and his tribe kept on following him… and seven year later, Spark has a true meaning, has a solid purpose and its activities are expanding beyond boarders! This is definitely not for everyone and I am happy to see that Miguel was able, in a way, to close a cycle. He is no longer only the genuine motivational and enthusiastic speaker. He is the true “Executive Commander” of a hustling Tribe!

Spark is very much designed or has actually evolved to fit a very specific market niche: the younger generation of recently graduated students, freshly spinning out of universities and with a burning desire to “see the Light”! They do get… a spark! The motivational team has refined their activities and built on the top of multiple iterations of bootcamp-like events and this made Spark very proficient indeed in “making the bridge” to the market.

Now, the other side... In my opinion, Spark is limited however in its ability to leverage further the dreams, ambitions and desires of their young clients. Miguel and his team do not seem to be interested in “the next level” of commitment needed to support those willing to take the chance to be their own bosses (but not only these!). Motivation and inspiration for a hustling attitude in live is not enough! Also, simply “doing the bridge” by training people with short presentation pitches to face matching potential employer companies, needs to be not a final stage, but ideally the first stage of a more extended and supported process. I know, it can be (is!) a business by itself, indeed! I understand! However, individual (professional and personal) sustainability and growth, depends on this rather extended support… and a job, might not be (is not!) enough for a long term success of an individual. Please note that I am thinking of something more structured then a simple coaching and mentorship support. I am talking about something like a second stage leverage platform… a reality that will be configured according to what the “market” is already saying.

Do not take me wrong! Making a 20,23-year old kid getting a job that fits his immediate ambitions, is already a great thing! I cannot agree more! But I want to join those that believe that ventures such as Spark, can and should do more than what they currently do. This is undoubtedly critical for their own survival in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, namely because the millennial generation is much more prone to risk… but much less willing to actually learn from their failures and much less capable of dealing with frustration! In other words, the “entrepreneurship paradigm” needs to be reanalyzed, reconfigured, tested and validated in a dynamic fashion, because itself will evolve with time and several other (sometimes non-evident) parameters.

Miguel was brought into the national political scene as a sort of marketing tool for a government Program aiming to reduce youth unemployment. He was actually claimed as the Ambassador of such Program! The title was rather symbolic and ended abruptly, without even Miguel himself being informed by the government that he was being dispensed of his further services. The other details about the case and its political implications are out of the scope of this article. The important fact here is that Miguel maintained his genuine attitude and overcame the situation, with no trouble, by simply sticking to his own path, his own goals. He kept wearing his sneakers and kept running forward and faster!

This is what matters in the end!... but please, do not simply feel the motivation! Go out there and Execute Your Dreams! No one will do it for you. No one will care. Only you!

I have never met personally Miguel. I have never seen, live, one of his talks or lectures. For me, Miguel is just another YouTube character! Some might consider him and Influencer… somehow! For me, he is more than that… he is a Doer!

Having said that, I would definitely like to meet in person such an individual, because we certainly have always something to learn with people that want to leave an impact in this world!

Miguel, we should go for a coffee one of these days! If you happen to “Like” this article… the bill is on you!