We love to say “just pull yourself up by your bootstraps.”
It’s a neat, comforting idea. Work hard, be smart, and success is inevitable.But here’s the truth:
That advice only works if you were born with boots.
In many parts of the world — from Haiti to Senegal to rural India — people aren’t lazy. They’re not stupid. They’re simply locked out of the systems that reward effort.
🌍 Talent Is Universal. Opportunity Is Not.
As economist Ha-Joon Chang points out, people in poor countries are often more entrepreneurial than those in rich ones — because they have to be. There’s no safety net. No trust fund. No stable job waiting after graduation.
But despite this hustle, the game is rigged:
- Currencies collapse.
- Corruption is common.
- Legal systems are slow or predatory.
- Borders are closed.
- Global capital flows around them, not toward them.
You can be brilliant and still stuck.
👣 Magatte Wade’s Truth: The Problem Isn’t the People
Senegalese entrepreneur Magatte Wade has built global businesses from Africa. She’s seen the raw talent. The drive. The ideas. The hunger.
Her message?
“Africa isn’t poor because Africans are lazy. It’s poor because the system makes entrepreneurship nearly impossible.”
She calls it “permission-based economies.” In many developing countries, just starting a business requires dozens of licenses, bribes, and approvals — often taking months longer than in the U.S. or Europe.
So even if you’ve got the mindset, you don’t have the infrastructure to win.
🎯 The Bootstrap Narrative Fails Globally
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| “Anyone can invest.” | Not if your currency melts or you can’t access a bank. |
| “Just learn online.” | Not if you have no internet, no laptop, no electricity. |
| “Start a business.” | Not if your government makes it illegal or corrupt. |
| “Just move to a better country.” | Not if your passport locks you out. |
🍀 And Yes — Luck Matters More Than We Admit
Even in the U.S., success often comes down to:
- Who your parents were
- Which zip code you were born in
- Whether a policy loophole happened to exist in a year you applied
You may know someone in Haiti who made it to the U.S. only through a temporary rule — and only with personal support. That’s not “bootstrapping.” That’s a rare alignment of chance, help, and timing.
🔑 So What Do We Do?
✅ 1. Stop Pretending Meritocracy Is Global
Effort matters. But effort without access is just exhaustion.
✅ 2. Support Systems That Shrink the Luck Gap
- Bitcoin → access to global savings
- Online education → access to real skills
- Remote work platforms → access to higher wages
- Legal reform → access to build freely, without bribery
✅ 3. Build Platforms That Let Value Flow to the Creator
Not to the middleman. Not to the gatekeeper. Not to the “aid industrial complex.”
To the person doing the work.
💥 Final Thought
The tragedy isn’t that people in poor countries are lazy.
It’s that they’re invisible to the systems that claim to reward merit.
Talent is everywhere.
Boots are not.
If we want a fair world, we don’t need more advice.
We need to start building the Earned World — where those who create value are finally allowed to keep it.
Further Reading:
MyWheelLife.com 