Almost 50 per cent of our waking hours are spent thinking about topics other than our current activities. Even though it’s normal, this mental straying might make it difficult for us to efficiently record and use our thoughts.

So, the question is, is there a better approach to capture these transient concepts for later use? The secret is to recognise the obstacles to productivity and use cutting-edge technologies to go over them.

The barriers to thought capture

Distractions, task switching, time consumption, procrastination, and intricacy all contribute to our thoughts never being completed. Let’s examine each of these challenges in more detail:

• Distractions: The average cost of distractions throughout a workday is 2.1 hours or over 26 per cent of an eight-hour workday. The substantial loss of time impairs both creativity and production.
• Task switching: The costly fallacy of multitasking can result in a 40 per cent reduction in productive time. We become less efficient and focused when we switch tasks.
• Time consumption: Typing takes up to 2.5 hours of a person’s workday on average, which is a significant amount of time devoted to a single form of expression. 
• Procrastination: Fear of failing (seven per cent), low self-confidence (eight per cent), perfectionism (seven per cent), low energy (28 per cent), and task aversion (50 per cent) are the main causes of procrastination. All of these things have the potential to impede work progress and completion.
• Complexity: An individual’s mind produces more than 6,000 thoughts per day. Many of these ideas are intricate and challenging to express, which increases the risk of them being overlooked or underdeveloped.

The costs of not capturing ideas can be high. If objectives are not met, there is a 42 per cent reduction in the probability of accomplishing goals that are not documented. In addition, those who don’t regularly write down their ideas frequently experience lower levels of happiness and fulfilment.

Also Read: Can generative AI usher us into the gilded age of ad creativity?

The time required to do activities grows; an average worker spends more than 11 hours a week writing by hand or organising their thoughts. It takes significantly longer for people who have dyslexia to complete this procedure.

Conventional techniques for gathering thoughts

Typewriters, transcribing machines, and paper and pencil are examples of traditional idea-capture techniques. Each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages.

Pencil and paper

• Pros: More adaptable than computerised techniques, enabling impromptu and unstructured note-taking.
• Cons: Because notes must be kept in physical notebooks, they are less accessible and more difficult to arrange. This approach can be especially difficult for the 20 per cent of people worldwide who suffer from dyslexia.

Typing

• Pros: More efficient than handwriting and simpler to arrange and modify.
• Cons: Due to digital disruptions, it can be time-consuming and annoying. People with dyslexia find it less approachable as well.

Transcription

• Pros: Speedy and practical, enabling the expression of ideas that can subsequently be recorded.
• Cons: Thoughts may not always be clear from transcription and may not always be accurate, which could result in misunderstandings.

Transforming the art of thought capture

With the use of artificial intelligence (AI), there is a new cutting-edge technology suite of content creation tools that transform spoken words into structured, written text, thereby addressing the shortcomings of conventional techniques.

This approach has a number of significant benefits:

• Simple to use: To arrange their ideas, users can choose to start a new document or utilise one of the templates. Then, speaking into their desktop or phone app, they pause and resume as necessary.
• AI-generated questions: The AI asks conversational questions to elucidate concepts further, assisting in their development.
• Built-in Features: It has features that are intended to get beyond typical obstacles to productivity, such as:
• Document types: Users can turn their thoughts into infographics, emails, ELI5 (Explain Like I’m Five) summaries, journal entries, and social network postings, among other formats.
• Describe changes: Users can give the program instructions on how to reorganise their ideas. For instance, it can rewrite material to make it more succinct or turn bullet points into paragraphs.
• Collaboration: Users can work together on ideas from any location and on any device by using shareable links.
• Progressive Web Application (PWA): Installing this as a PWA enables cross-platform accessibility and ease of use.

Also Read: After failure, rekindling our creativity and finding balance

The advantages

• Speed: Users can quickly and effectively capture their thoughts because it is three times faster than typing.
• Accessibility: Designed with neurodivergent populations in mind, it makes efficient idea capture accessible to a wider range of individuals.
• Accuracy: Preserves the uniqueness of the user’s concepts by eschewing the distortions and hallucinations that are frequently connected with AI.
• Focus: Keeping users in the now lessens the cognitive strain that comes with writing by hand or typing.

Using AI-powered transcription tools to capture free-form spoken phrases is the most straightforward approach to organising and utilising complicated concepts. It helps people become more creative and productive by removing the obstacles that come with using traditional methods. This guarantees that no idea is wasted and that every notion has the potential to be realised.

—

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page.

Image credit: Canva Pro

This article was first published on July 22, 2024

The post Unlocking your creativity and productivity with AI content tools appeared first on e27.

The statistics are harsh: 90 per cent of startups fail. About 10 per cent shut down within their first year, and a staggering 42 per cent fail because there is no market need for what they offer. This raises an urgent question: what separates the startups that thrive from those that fade away?

Interestingly, many of the world’s most successful startups—WhatsApp, Duolingo, Noom—were founded by immigrants. In fact, 80 per cent of America’s billion-dollar startups have at least one immigrant founder or a top executive. These founders succeed not just because they work hard, but because they think differently about risk, resilience, and opportunity.

This article explores why most startups fail and what immigrant entrepreneurs do differently to overcome those challenges.

The common reasons startups fail

• No market need

One of the biggest reasons startups fail is that they create products that no one actually wants. Founders, especially first-timers, often fall in love with their idea and assume there is demand without thoroughly validating the market. This false confidence leads to wasted time, money, and effort—often with disastrous consequences.

In 2009, Triangulate, an AI-powered dating startup, launched Wings, a Facebook-integrated app designed to match users based on their social media activity. The company raised US$750,000 in funding and believed that leveraging behavioural data and machine learning would revolutionise online dating.

However, users weren’t drawn to algorithm-driven compatibility—they still prioritised factors like physical appearance and direct interaction, just as they did on platforms like Match.com. Without enough engagement to refine its technology or attract further investment, Triangulate quickly burned through its funding. Despite attempts to pivot, it ultimately shut down.

• Running out of money

Startups frequently underestimate how much money they need to survive long enough to reach profitability. Raising capital isn’t enough—managing cash flow effectively is crucial. If a company scales too quickly before ironing out operational kinks, financial problems will inevitably follow.

Quincy Apparel, a direct-to-consumer brand launched in 2011 by two Harvard grads, aimed to provide stylish, well-fitting workwear for young professional women. The demand was clear, and their concept resonated with customers. However, high return rates due to fit issues quickly drained their cash reserves.

Investors, eager for rapid growth, pressured the founders to expand before they had perfected their production process. With mounting costs and no additional funding, the company folded in under a year—not because the idea was bad, but because they ran out of time and money before they could make it work.

• Weak teams and internal conflicts

A startup’s fate is not determined solely by its idea—it hinges on the strength of its team. Many ventures collapse due to founder disputes, weak leadership, or hiring the wrong people. A visionary founder is not enough; execution requires a team with the right balance of skills, experience, and decision-making capability.

Also Read: Tips on building your startup out of that spark of frustration  

One recurring issue in failed startups is co-founders who are too similar, leading to redundancy in skill sets and decision-making bottlenecks. Another is the reluctance to delegate: founders often try to do everything themselves rather than surrounding themselves with experts. In high-stakes environments, disagreements over vision and execution can quickly escalate, leading to breakdowns that cripple the company.

• Poor business model

Even when a startup has a great idea and strong leadership, it can still fail if it lacks a viable path to profitability. Some founders assume that user growth alone will eventually translate into revenue—but if the math doesn’t add up, the company is doomed.

MoviePass, a subscription service that promised unlimited theater visits for just US$9.95 per month, banked on the assumption that casual moviegoers would offset frequent users, keeping costs under control.

Instead, heavy users took full advantage of the service, rapidly depleting the company’s capital. MoviePass never had a sustainable monetisation plan beyond investor funding. After multiple pivots and last-ditch attempts to raise capital, the company finally shut down.

What immigrant founders do differently

Immigrant founders defy the typical startup failure traps by leveraging their experiences of uncertainty, adaptation, and resourcefulness. They approach entrepreneurship with a unique perspective, shaped by their backgrounds, and this often gives them an edge in building resilient, scalable businesses.

• They build businesses with a global mindset

Many immigrant founders identify opportunities that others overlook, often because they have firsthand experience with economic and social barriers. Rather than catering to a single market, they design solutions with a global reach.

Jan Koum, a Ukrainian immigrant, co-founded WhatsApp after recognising how expensive and unreliable international communication was. Unlike other messaging platforms, WhatsApp prioritised simplicity, low data usage, and privacy—needs shaped by Koum’s experiences growing up in a country with restricted communication. This focus on a universal problem allowed WhatsApp to scale rapidly, ultimately selling to Facebook for US$19 billion.

• They focus on practical, proven needs

Rather than chasing innovation for the sake of it, immigrant founders often focus on improving existing systems, solving fundamental problems in smarter ways.

Also Read: Clean cap tables, happy VCs: How SPVs streamline startup fundraising for future success

Saeju Jeong, a South Korean immigrant, didn’t just create another weight-loss app when he co-founded Noom. Instead, he applied psychology and behavioral science to help users make sustainable lifestyle changes. By addressing the underlying causes of weight gain rather than just calorie counting, Noom became a billion-dollar company with a loyal user base.

• They master bootstrapping and resourcefulness

With limited access to funding, many immigrant founders bootstrap their companies longer, ensuring financial discipline and a clear path to profitability before scaling.

Luis von Ahn, a Guatemalan immigrant, built Duolingo with a mission to make language education free. Instead of relying on heavy venture capital investments, he focused on sustainable monetisation models, such as offering a premium subscription while keeping the core product free. Today, Duolingo is a public company worth over US$5 billion.

• They adapt faster and see obstacles as normal

Most entrepreneurs struggle with setbacks, but immigrant founders often see them as part of the journey. Having already navigated challenges like cultural adaptation and visa restrictions, they are more resilient in uncertain environments.

Noubar Afeyan, an Armenian immigrant from Lebanon, faced skepticism when he championed mRNA vaccine technology through Moderna. Rather than retreating, he remained steadfast in his vision, pushing forward despite industry doubts. His persistence paid off when Moderna became a key player in COVID-19 vaccine development.

The startup playbook for success

If you’re launching a startup, here’s what you can learn from successful immigrant founders:

• Validate market demand before scaling. Don’t build a product without confirming there’s demand. Use MVPs, surveys, and pilot programs before investing heavily.
• Control costs and bootstrap. Venture capital is useful, but overspending before profitability is a trap.
• Solve real problems. Some of the most successful startups focus on unsexy but essential needs.
• Hire smartly. Surround yourself with industry experts and complementary skill sets.
• Pivot when necessary. If something isn’t working, change the strategy

Startups fail for many reasons, but immigrant founders show that resilience and adaptability can make the difference. They don’t wait for perfect conditions or unlimited funding. They build, adjust, and push forward despite uncertainty. Success comes from learning, adapting, and moving forward—no matter how many times the answer is no.

—

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

Join us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn to stay connected.

Image credit: Canva Pro

The post Why startups fail: Lessons from immigrant entrepreneurs who beat the odds appeared first on e27.