Permission to Fail: A case for youth entrepreneurship

Spin Master co-founder Ronnen Harary believes Canada needs more entrepreneurs—especially young ones. In this episode of Disruptors, he joins host John Stackhouse to explain why your 20s offer the perfect window to start a business: you’re close to emerging trends, you have permission to fail, and you possess the “power of not knowing” that lets you take risks mature companies won’t.

Ronnen shares the story of building Spin Master from Earth Buddies to global brands like Air Hogs, Hatchimals, and Paw Patrol. He introduces the concept of “inverse risk”—the idea that not pursuing your entrepreneurial vision may be riskier than trying and failing. And he makes the case that despite economic uncertainty, AI disruption is creating unprecedented opportunities for young founders willing to move fast.

Chapters:
00:00 Why Canada needs more young entrepreneurs
01:39 Why your 20s are the best decade to start a business
03:49 The power of not knowing: the Air Hogs story
05:28 Immigrant roots, dysgraphia and an early entrepreneur
08:42 Earth Buddy and the birth of Spin Master
10:30 Tracking down the Kmart buyer
13:32 Inverse risk: from Earth Buddy to PAW Patrol
16:30 Why doesn't Canada have more entrepreneurs?
17:34 Futurpreneur and collateral-free loans
18:27 AI, Stickerbox and the most exciting time to start
21:23 Advice to his 23-year-old self

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