How Does One Become An Entrepreneur?

**cadance** · 01-31-2007 06:25 PM

"If you want to live an ordinary life and be ordinary look
around you and do what THEY do, but if you want to live a
life less ordinary observe their actions and then go out and
do the exact opposite."

**skyjoe76** · 01-31-2007 06:52 PM

Most entrepreneurs have a dream. They took the courage to walk a path to pursue their dreams. It may not be a dream of material satisfaction. It may be gap they saw in the market and think they can fill that gap.

**Newton** · 01-31-2007 07:14 PM

I don't like this 'I want to be an Entrepreneur' kind of thing. It's not that I don't think it's a good thing but it misses the point.

I'm not an Entrepreneur, I'm a businessman and I sell shirts.

**akula** · 01-31-2007 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by Newton

I don't like this 'I want to be an Entrepreneur' kind of thing. It's not that I don't think it's a good thing but it misses the point.

I'm not an Entrepreneur, I'm a businessman and I sell shirts.

newton's right

to answer "How Does One Become An Entrepreneur" you have to define what an entrepreneur is, by looking at what an entrepreneur does, and what entrepreneurs do is written on their business cards.

entrepreneurs do 4 things: they identify opportunities (role of investor), they aggregate resources (role of founder), they are employed as executives (role of ceo) and they come to board meetings (role of director)

so to answer your question; it is by by doing these four roles, is how one becomes an entrepreneur

important point: there's a lot of investors, founders, execs and directors in the world. not all of them are entrepreneurs. in my opinion, it is the people who operate in all the four roles concurrently (in relation to any one particular venture) who deserve the title, because the title differentiates them other players in the economy

that's the roles based answer...there're other answers...

**ChaseManset** · 01-31-2007 11:45 PM

I agree with akula, you first have to define what an entrepreneur actually does. After meeting the four characteristics of an entrepreneur as akula specified, I would argue that you also need to look at the type of venture being pursued. There are two major ventures; business replication, i.e. copying or a applying a twist of an existing business, and the other, what I feel is the true definition of entrepreneurship, innovative business creation. This is where a business offers a product, service, or process in which has never been done before. The definition of entrepreneur should not be confused with business owner, but is a unique label few deserve.

**akula** · 02-01-2007 01:35 AM

that's an interesting point

many commentators follow Schumpeter and position innovation as a prerequisite for entrepreneurship

It's a very common position

I think it's flawed because it places a priori value on innovation

basically, Schumpeterian logic argues that; 1) being an entrepreneur is valuable, 2) and to be an entrepreneur one has to be innovative and 3) therefore, innovation is valuable

I disagree with this

I think that innovation is simply a feature of competitive strategy. no more, no less.

Sometimes it's good to innovate and sometimes it's bad to innovate

A founder who specifically chooses NOT TO innovate shouldn't lose any brownie points in this "hierarchy of entrepreneurs" because they make the right decision in choosing not to innovate

Simply put: an entrepreneur is one who does the job of an investor, a founder, an executive and a director. If they do the job of the executive poorly, for example, by not innovating as compared to their competition - they are still an entrepreneur (albeit, a poor one)

In other words, a painter is still a painter even though she sucks at painting, and an entrepreneur is an entrepreneur even if she sucks at being an entrepreneur (for example, by failing to implement innovation, in her role as an executive).

**skyjoe76** · 02-01-2007 08:40 PM

Anyone is a entrepreneur here?

**MjMarti85** · 02-02-2007 12:25 AM

Its Easy bro, just fill out the application!

**bluestellar** · 01-28-2012 06:07 AM

Decide on a market that you passionately believe in, and narrow your field of opportunity into a specific niche within the market. Find something that people are irrationally passionate about, a problem that keeps them awake at night trying to solve. Study your competition, and identify both their strengths and their weaknesses. Decide a clear course of commerce - what you'll sell, how you'll sell it and where. Also determine where you'll go for help when you get stuck and need advice. Be sure of your milestones, and know when you will be able to call yourself a success. Finally, plan your exit strategy.