In Peru's startup ecosystem, there's a constant craving for our first unicorn. You hear it at conferences, in interviews, in conversations. The ecosystem is moving forward, but sometimes that focus seems to pull us away from what really matters.
Why the unicorn obsession?
Talking about the unicorn as a huge milestone is inspiring, but putting too much focus on it can distract us from the essentials. And to be clear: this isn't about not aiming for it, it's about making sure that every day we're building the fundamentals.
Laying the groundwork for a healthy ecosystem
We need to create jobs, build products that deliver real value to customers, put together strong teams and grow a culture of innovation. That's the foundation we have to chase with everything we've got, because without it there's no healthy, sustainable ecosystem.
I get why we want a unicorn. It's natural to look at what other countries have pulled off and want to prove we can do it too. But chasing it anxiously just pulls us off the real focus: building something solid. A unicorn should be the natural result of a strong ecosystem, not the target we aim at before building the fundamentals.
The real value: impact and resilience
First, we need to take care of the day-to-day: build resilient companies, solve real problems and develop leaders who can handle uncertainty. The foundation has to be solid, and that foundation is the constant, unglamorous work that usually doesn't make the headlines.
Shifting the focus
Instead of obsessing over the first unicorn, let's focus on being the best ecosystem we can be. One that solves real problems, inspires, transforms and grows on solid ground. The unicorns will come when we're ready, and getting ready starts with the work we do today.
In the end, having a unicorn is just one more step. Building a strong ecosystem is what will actually take us far.
I've worked at the biggest unicorn in LatAm (MercadoLibre in Argentina) and right now I'm trying to build one (Laundryheap). If you're building and want to talk, let's talk.
