• Blog
  • Archives
  • Bio
  • Awards
  • Speaking
  • Book
  • Contact

The stars won't align

Published: Thursday, 28 March 2013

I was thinking and plotting and planning my startup.

When to begin.  Was it too early?  Was the market ready?  Would I waste my time?  Would I waste my money?  I thought about MakerBot.  It all seemed to work out so perfectly for them.  They primed it so perfectly it seemed.  Even Chris Anderson from Wired Magazine was getting on the 3D printing revolution bandwagon.  Not to mention Barack Obama.  Why was it so easy for them?

But then I realised that it probably wasn't that easy for them.  That they probably had to put in lots of work and energy such that MakerBot was the market leader in consumer 3D printing.  They had to set up relationships, establish communities and create their own opportunities.

When I realised that, I realised that the time for me to launch is now.

The stars aren't aligned and they never will be.  But if I launch my company now and build up my vision, even if it's not a success now, this year, or next year, if I just build it up slowly, bit by bit, I will get there.

Bill Gates had to spend three years in a house in Albuquerque before he hit the big time.

I don't need to be successful now, but I will get there.

About Me

Marita ChengForbes named me a world's top 50 woman in tech & 30 Under 30. I founded Robogals and Aipoly and was Young Australian of the Year 2012. Currently working on robotics company Aubot. I'm the youngest Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and I give speeches around the world.

I tweet @maritacheng and I'm on Facebook.

Subscribe

Enter your email address to receive my latest blog posts: 

 

Random Articles

  • Insights from another student entrepreneur…

    Kieran O’Neill started up holylemon.com, a sight that shows funny videos, funny movies and funny videoclips when he was 14, and sold it for US$1.25...

  • Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

    To my great surprise, I was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) this year, announced on the Queen’s Birthday Weekend. This means I now...

  • Chinese History Museum

    The Chinese History Museum invited me to be part of their exhibition on notable Chinese Australians. In February, over Chinese New Year, my mum came to...

  • Jevaroo - pouring a glass of water

    Here is our 8-degree-of-freedom robotic arm Jevaroo, pouring a glass of water and then moving around to show its range of movements!

  • YouthActionNet Global Fellowship Day 6: Succession

      We spoke about our succession plans today.  We did a great activity:  if I were to leave Robogals on November 6, one month from now, what would I...

  • A regularly pleasant airport experience

    One day, as if overnight, all the airport check-in people and desks disappeared.  In their place appeared computerised self-tagging stations.  Across the...

  • Don't kid yourself on your priorities

    What are your priorities?  Work?  Family?  Relationship?  Start-up?  9-5?  Non-profit?  Volunteering?  Watching television?  Reading blogs?  Eating?  Meetings? Don't...

  • Asian Society Game Changer Award

    I was named an Asian Society Game Changer Award winner alongside architect IM Pei (Lifetime Achievement Award), movie director Zhang Yimou, and the...

  • American Australian Association: Next Generation Leadership Award

    I received an award in New York City from the American Australian Association:  the Next Generation Leadership Award.  As a result, they're planting a...

  • Show up

    Woody Allen once said that "eighty percent of success is showing up." To me, that means, you go to the meeting about the project.  You're there...

Enter your email address to receive my latest blog posts: 

 

Scroll to Top