Florida Venture Blog by Dan Rua dan

No-BS Venture Thoughts for No-BS Entrepreneurs.

A running perspective on Florida's growing tech and venture community, with an occasional detour to the Southeast/national scene, venture capital FAQs and maybe a gadget or two....

By Dan Rua, Managing Partner of Inflexion Partners -- "Florida's Venture Fund".

Two Million Minutes, One VC's Wakeup Call

Regardless of nationality, as soon as a student completes the 8th grade, the clock starts ticking. From that very moment the child has approximately -

…Two Million Minutes until high school graduation…Two Million Minutes to build their intellectual foundation…Two Million Minutes to prepare for college and ultimately career…Two Million Minutes to go from a teenager to an adult.

How a student spends their Two Million Minutes - in class, at home studying, playing sports, working, sleeping, socializing or just goofing off -- will affect their economic prospects for the rest of their lives.

Bob Compton has been on the investor and entrepreneur sides of the table. He has travelled the globe as a businessman, a tourist, and now as a documentary producer. His film, Two Million Minutes, contrasts the work/study practices (not just Math/Science) of high-schoolers in the USA, India and China and is getting attention by investors, educators and leaders.

One analogy Compton uses is that Indian and Chinese families apply the same passion and dedication to education that many US families reserve for sports -- but economic futures for our children and countries will not be determined on a football field, basketball court or baseball diamond.

Not having seen the full documentary, it's hard for me to comment too deeply. However, I've ordered the DVD and, with two young girls, the topic is near and dear to my heart. Check out the trailer, including interviews with VC, friend and edu-philanthropist Tim Draper, entrepreneur and globalization researcher Vivek Wadhwa and others...

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Comments (3)

Blogger Contraflow Map Group said...

Ordered it.

9:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That looks really good! I have a son going into ninth grade next year, and ever since we've moved out here to AL, he has had hardly ANY homework. It has been scaring me to death.

Back in TX, starting in 7th grade, you get more and more homework successively each year. What's up with AL? And his grades are stellar. I just got a note in the mail he'll be inducted into the Nat'l Honor Society.

Must I homeschool because AL is so far behind? And if America, as a whole, is behind, and AL is behind TX - OMG!!

I don't even have asthma, and I feel the need for a breather! UGH!

10:17 AM  
Blogger VC Dan said...

Congrats on your son's NHS induction! There's a lot to like about homeschooling...

10:29 AM  

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