Ed. Note: I wrote this for US NEWS this past week but would like to re run it here, too. BTW, FastCompany contacted me because they were interested in it, as well, but wanted “more details.” I think it stands alone, for now.
I am a serial entrepreneur. I start companies. So far in my career, a couple of homeruns, a double or two, maybe a single. Never a strikeout. Flyout maybe.

Anyway. For the past THREE years, a colleague and I have been working on a new idea/company, nights and weekends. We have spent cash and time (‘incubating’ and ‘sweat equity’ are the terms now in vogue).

This could a new business in the publishing space, but in a niche market now in the hundreds of millions, over $10 billion, according to some experts in the industry. Seriously.

The potential is so great that we thought instead of doing a raw startup, we would approach media companies with a very compelling offer. They can have the business for a very modest amount of cash plus an on-going royalty on sales. This is very different from the ‘normal’ way of starting a business, but I thought these times might have created a new attitude in larger businesses.

So, we started contacting publishers and their persons in charge of “New Business Development.” No wonder job creation is down if the people in charge of new business development are so careful as to be completely paralyzed, to NOT EVEN want to see what our ‘thing’ is all about.

One local publisher is especially noteworthy. He had been quoted in the press as having said, “I am less concerned with the competitors than in finding new pathways to the future.” Perfect. New pathways to the future—that Be us.

I have emailed him. Called. Tried to get on his calendar for 15 minutes. He won’t even give me the courtesy of a call back.

Back up at 40,000 feet now, it is interesting to see how the larger the company, the more rooted they are to the past. There are simply too many institutional barriers to overcome to bring in a new idea, even if the idea is potentially huge. Talk is cheap and easy, as the ‘new pathways to the future” comment shows.

Meanwhile, unemployment is at 10.2% and people who have never actually created a job are talking about the new industries of the future.

Further note: This is a very common complaint amongst all entrepreneurs, this is not new. Used to it. And, we almost always find a way in. Stay tuned.