If Randall Lane were Mayor he’d cut taxes and red tape and treat all entrepreneurs like a big-time celebrity.
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It would be a hard transition to go from editing an iconic publication – one with 6.1 million U.S. readers – to serving as the Mayor of a small town. But if Randall Lane, Editor, Forbes Magazine, had to do just that, on his first day in office he’d more than likely throw a parade for every entrepreneur in town and then invite those individuals to City Hall for a meeting of the minds.
“Government cannot and should not solve every problem,” he said, during an interview with Christopher Wink, Co-Founder, Technical.ly, at the rise conference in Philadelphia.
Mr. Lane – who suggested if every mayor treated entrepreneurs in their cities like Lebron James then more great talent would stay home and help grow communities and jobs – was in town for Forbes’ first-ever Under 30 Summit, which according to Twitter, and Mr. Lane, was a big success.
“Under 30 was the number two trending topic on Twitter… 15,000 tweets on Monday and Tuesday,” he bragged, touting that he’d put the room he aggregated for the summit against any other room in the world because of the age represented: millennials.
In that room, he said, was the potential to “change the world for the next fifty years and cross pollinate across industries.”
The central theme around Mr. Lane’s thinking is based on the enormous power that individuals have when it’s easier for them to do business. And though most think that pro-business means you’re in support of the 1 percent, Mr. Lane offers a different perspective, one rooted in a culture of growth and innovation.
“It’s good business to encourage your hometown to be successful,” he said, acknowledging the private sector’s role in a city’s success and then praising Mayor Michael A. Nutter for his leadership in making Philly a “much friendlier place for business.”
Though not a politician – and from the groan he expelled when even having to think about it, he doesn’t desire to be one – Mr. Lane was spot on with his talking points: make it easy to do business and good things happen and treat all entrepreneurs like Lebron James.
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