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I have occasionally been accused of being an entrepreneur. Even admitted it on occasion although I haven't owned my own company in several years and it got me to thinking about the root of entrepreneurship and just who qualifies as one these days.
Here is the wikipedia definition:
"an entrepreneur is a person who has possession of an enterprise or venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome. It is an ambitious leader who combines land, labor, and capitol to create and market new goods and services." It also goes on to describe a person who has strong beliefs in market opportunity.
So it seems an entrepreneur is basically the founder of a company or venture. Yet it also hints at a person who is a leader which is where in my mind, this whole thing gets sticky. I believe it also could cover those people who are willing to take some risks in order to create a better outcome. Perhaps even extending beyond just the career arena. Could you call an employee of an art gallery who came up with a new way to market their artists an entrepreneur? What about the artist him/herself who starts a blog to foster conversation about his/her work?
For me, the term covers a style of working or creating and is an attribute to be quite proud of and would even add that an entrepreneur should lack a healthy fear of failure.....I agree with Wikipedia that it covers the risk and responsibility of a venture but what about extending it to cover the risk and responsibility of an idea or even a lifestyle? I know lots of people that I would classify as "entrepreneurs" that own no company or don't plan to but live their lives with such an eye for efficiency or have such progressive ideas that it that the term just makes sense.
I have to say I agree to using this term for some who don't own a business of some kind. there are many out there that are creative to the point that you could classify them as an entrepreneur because you know at some point they will actually become one. also, those who are just so creative in their thought process and their actions that they just command the title without giving permission. To lead others to a plane of thought that may create something of value to the rest of us should absolutely be considered an entrepreneur. and if they aren't, well then they are in my book.
I disagree that an entreprenuer can be someone who "live their lives with such an eye for efficiency or have such progressive ideas that it that the term just makes sense."
I don't believe that efficiency or progressive always equals entrepreneur, although they do go hand in hand at times. Being an entrepreneur is more than just have a lot of creative ideas and taking a risk every now and then. A lot of times it doesn't seem very efficient to be an entrepreneur in the first place.
Entrepreneurship is the "in" thing nowadays. Entrepreneur mindset with little action? Honestly this just sounds like a way to make people feel better about themselves.
This article thrilled me to death! I not only agree, I'm a little inspired! I have never in my life wanted to own a business, mostly because there are certain aspects of founding a company that I simply do not have the natural skill for regardless of how much I learn. Creativity, however, marketing, leadership, and a willingness to take risks; those I have in spades. Thanks for helping me take notice of my own entreprenaurial potential!
Valerie - I agree that the term entrepreneur is so common these days that it's getting trendy. The art world has been dealing with terms like this for quite some time and there's much eye rolling at the "painters who don't paint" crowd so I can see where you're coming from on that. I do not however think that "founder" and "entrepreneur" are interchangeable and was thinking about whether the difference might be internal.
Kati - glad the post helped :)
@ Caitlin: Okay, I got you on pondering internal differences; this makes more sense now. I definitely agree that there are internal differences and that those differences aren't clear-cut. People have been trying to define what makes an entreupreneur for so long. For instance: entrepreneurs are social (or loners, depending on who you ask), beat to their own drums, are risk-takers... the list goes on. Unfortunately entrepreneur does not fit into such neat categories and really almost anyone has the "potential" to be an entreprenuer if they can form the link between ideas and action if that's what they wanted.
Anyway, great post!
Interesting article! It sounds like you might describing an "intrapreneur"? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrapreneur
Seems like the distinction is more related to the level of risk someone is willing to take not necessarily how efficient they are. I agree that an entre/intrapreneur is someone who will bring forth progressive ideas and approaches though!
Entrepreneurs get stuff done despite sometimes having their hands tied. They value forward progress, they cherish their vision and they keep an open mind to new possibilities.
I like deep thoughts like this. Although I would technically be classified as an entrepreneur, I have a hard time calling myself that. Not sure what that really says about me, whether that’s good or bad, but your post did get me thinking.
And in addition to the deep thought, I had a shallow thought - you’re super cute.
(Sorry, that’s probably inappropriate. And I probably shouldn’t leave comments that don’t add much to the topic at hand.)
Ian - I didn't even know that word existed but you're right, it's exactly what I was describing. hmmmm
Deep Thoughts David - thanks!
Interesting read, and a fun bit of philosophical thought.
I would agree on your comment that you don't have to own a company to be an entrepreneur. You said lifestyle, where I'd almost take it down to a further level of "spirit" or "mindset".
As I see it, an entrepreneur (and I say this full well being one) really feels like a disease at times. It's not just having a creative marketing thought and putting it into action, or taking the initiative at work, or coming up and launching a new product idea for a company. Some of those things are corpraneurship, or biz dev, or just being a creative agent or taking the initiative.
A true entrepreneur, as I see it, is a lot of what people have been saying in the comments, but to an extreme. They're those individuals that can walk into any store, and are able to identify those gaps in the market, they see where a business is missing its potential to make more money, and when they are home at night trying to sleep they're awake instead, restless because of an idea that won't give their mind peace. They are constantly analyzing or thinking about their company, a company they are going to start, or an idea. I'd say it's borderline an obsession, and a willingness to put almost everything on the line for the sake of an idea.
If you own a company and you just let everything kind of run itself, you're not an entrepreneur, you're a business owner - and there is a difference. If you're comfortable at work, you're probably not an entrepreneur. If you can sleep at night, you're probably not an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is like a fear or detest of complacency so great you're forced into motion.
Sorry, was a bit long, I got fired up : )
Woops. Forgot to log in ^
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