It’s easy to guess that technopreneurship is a combination of the words “technology” and “entrepreneurship.” When we talk about technopreneurs, names like Elon Musk or Steve Jobs are easily recognizable. But what does the future of technopreneurship in the Philippines look like, and how can you become a successful technopreneur here?
Defining Technopreneurship
As can be gleaned above, technopreneurship is the creation or extraction of value of technology by setting up a business with the goal of gaining profits.
Technopreneurs introduce new concepts of technology-based products and services in the market, whether it’s a completely fresh idea or an innovation of an old product or service.
Technopreneurs change the way society works. With the technology and innovation they offer, the way things are traditionally done is challenged and disrupted—mostly for the improvement of people’s quality of life.
Apple’s iPhones, Tesla’s electric cars, or even crowdsourcing and sharing economy platforms like Uber and Grab changed habits, behaviors, and cultures at large.
Many technopreneurs focus on eCommerce, automotive, software development, consumer electronics, social networking service, biotechnology, and cloud computing, among others.
In the Philippines, there’s an emphasis on developing local technologies, upgrading SMEs’ operations and production through technology, and coming up with globally competitive value-added technology.
How Technopreneurship in the Philippines Works
There have been many successful technopreneurs in the Philippines. The list includes:
- Diosdado Banatao: Co-founded three tech companies and developed IBM’s first system logic chipset
- Orlando Vea: Co-founder of Smart Communications and CEO at PLDT
- Joey Gurango: Founder of software companies and part of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship’s Ten Most Inspiring Technopreneurs
- Winston Damarillo: Venture capitalist at Intel and sold companies that were later acquired by companies such as IBM
- Rachel De Villa: Social technopreneur and youngest entrepreneur of Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30 list
- Leandro Leviste: Reusable power and sustainable energy industry leader and part of Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30 in 2016
The way these technopreneurs built their companies differs. Some dropped out of college to immediately build their companies, while others worked non-computing related jobs at first.
One common factor that binds all these technopreneurs is the skill that allows them to understand the needs and gaps in the market and use technology to supply these gaps.
How to Learn Technopreneurship in the Philippines
Many successful technopreneurs suggest that for you to be successful in the field, you need to have a core understanding of technology and entrepreneurship to survive in a competitive market.
In the Philippines, trends in game development, entertainment, and multimedia have skyrocketed during the pandemic. This means potential growth for and high chances of technopreneurial opportunity within the local game development industry.
For those still looking to take a crack at the business, getting a Bachelor of Science in Entertainment and Multimedia Computing degree is a good way to start.
Entertainment and multimedia computing helps equip students with relevant skills like creativity, communication, and technical know-how in programming. These are skills necessary for technopreneurs to succeed, especially when they’re building their own companies.
Many technopreneurs work best when they’re in command. It lets them flesh out their vision freely, without interruption. If you’re in the gaming industry, building your own company is highly suggested if you think independently and want to work at your own pace.
Otherwise, you can still learn a lot from working with already established (or even newly-founded) companies that focus on game development in the Philippines.
Be The Next Game Technopreneur
If you’re passionate about games, then Entertainment and Multimedia Computing fits perfectly for you. But don’t forget that choosing the right school for Entertainment and Multimedia Computing is important to being a successful technopreneur.To learn from the best, enroll now at CIIT Philippines. CIIT Philippines is a premier educational institution that offers world-class courses like entertainment and multimedia computing. Click here to explore.
