I remember as a kid my father kept and liked many books. One of his books was a biography of Teddy Roosevelt. My only awareness of Theodore Roosevelt at the time was his willingness to go with John Muir to see Yosemite and then putting aside land for conservation that led to our national parks. That made me like him a lot as a kid. But the book my father had contained a speech that I recently came across again. It's been quoted a lot but I think it is one of those speeches that deserves to be cherished and remembered. 

I think that the idea of our country is a wonderful and challenging experiment. That concept invigorated my father who loved the idea of democracy and was willing to forego his own privileges to believe in something higher that was more equal and just. 

This section below excerpted from TR's Speech "Citizenship in a Republic" at the Sorbonne in Paris on April 23, 1910 has always caught my interest.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." 

The only change I would make is to add woman. Thankfully we live in a time where that is happening and maybe we won't even ever need to spell it out so clearly because it is implied. At least, that is how I have always read things. :)

I think from an entrepreneurial point of view, what Y combinator offers - free access to incredible education at Stanford to learn how to start and run a startup - that's simply amazing. Tools are available if you look for them - tools to help you build a business you define, to connect with and work with people compatible with you. That's a huge improvement from just 20 years ago, let alone a 100 or when TR was alive. We've got a lot of opportunity in a connected world. I'll leave you to think on that. :)