Gerardo Bonelli is a 22-year-old Italian entrepreneur who has set up, starting from 0, different network marketing entrepreneurial activities. He was born in in February 27, 1998 in Matera (Italy).
Good morning Gerardo, tell us about your career path
I started my work experience in the social media marketing sector. Later I worked with a large network marketing company where I studied all aspects of advertising and I was able to get to know many entrepreneurs and their problems.
In your opinion, what will be the most requested professions in the world of work in the coming years?
In my opinion, the most requested professions will mostly be linked to everything that is based online, to the digitalization of companies, to export managers, to online shopping.
What do you think of the Italian startup scene?
I think we have grown a lot since I started (around 2015), but at some point we pulled the handbrake. To date we are competing with the handbrake pulled. Let me explain better: in my opinion we have filled the gap of the initial phase, but not of the subsequent steps. Today you can easily work on a prototype and take an interesting seed to validate your idea, but if you have to climb seriously and need a few million, then it gets complicated. Not to mention the fact that exits in Italy are a rarity. Until the big Italian companies and they decide to buy startups, the “mechanism” will always be missing some gear.
Have you noticed any differences with the situation in other countries?
Yes, but here you risk falling too easily into clichés and trivializations. I have been around between France, Spain and the USA and the differences are abysmal compared to Italy.
What advice do you give to those who intend to put their business idea into practice for the first time?
Don’t waste time and money building a product for years. Assume that nobody cares about your product and you have to prove otherwise.
What impact has digital had and does it have on your work?
I eat bread and digital for breakfast.
Seriously, the impact is enormous considering that all aspects of my work are related to digital. My personal projects are all online and, moreover, living abroad but working with Italy, process management is also 100% digital. All remotely and all online!
Do you believe that digital can help young entrepreneurs to emerge?
Of course yes! We live in an era where making a product is very easy and we also have access to information never seen before. If you combine these two things you get an incredible recipe. You have the opportunity to learn a lot, test a lot and fail a lot, keeping costs low, sometimes almost nil. I’d say better than that, you die!
Thanks Gerardo for your interview, we link your instagram profile for those who want to follow your advice.
