Nothing
annoys me more than going to the average networking event. Breathing through my
mouth so I don’t have to smell the beer soaked breath of the person shouting in
my ear about “analytics” or “product evangelism,” I often find
myself mourning the days of regimented job specs and KPIs based on decades of
data and process work.
annoys me more than going to the average networking event. Breathing through my
mouth so I don’t have to smell the beer soaked breath of the person shouting in
my ear about “analytics” or “product evangelism,” I often find
myself mourning the days of regimented job specs and KPIs based on decades of
data and process work.
Don’t get me wrong. Being an entrepreneur can be
amazing and inspiring. If you’re bringing substantial innovations to your
industry – think Audax Health, Pinterest or Isbel– you deserve the title
entrepreneur and I wholly support you in your endeavors. If you’re being
bankrolled by your parents and wake up at noon only to lament the slow progress
of your half-baked app idea, however, you don’t deserve the title and you need
to get a real job.
I
often find that our start-up obsessed culture glamorizes the truly difficult
and gritty nature of entrepreneurship, enticing inexperienced, starry-eyed
individuals with few practical skills or talents to a very competitive
profession that requires a battery of complex skills, the least of which is an
idea with a tangible outcome. The word entrepreneur, coming from the French
word “entreprendre” meaning “to undertake,” suggests in itself undertaking
risks in hope of profit. But there’s a difference between calculated risk and
complete ignorance, and many “entrepreneurs” need a little more experience
before they can calculate the risks and take the leap to start up for
themselves.
often find that our start-up obsessed culture glamorizes the truly difficult
and gritty nature of entrepreneurship, enticing inexperienced, starry-eyed
individuals with few practical skills or talents to a very competitive
profession that requires a battery of complex skills, the least of which is an
idea with a tangible outcome. The word entrepreneur, coming from the French
word “entreprendre” meaning “to undertake,” suggests in itself undertaking
risks in hope of profit. But there’s a difference between calculated risk and
complete ignorance, and many “entrepreneurs” need a little more experience
before they can calculate the risks and take the leap to start up for
themselves.
Two entrepreneurs with killer business backgrounds
Dominique
Gagnon, founder and CEO of Isbel: Dominique, a
graduate of Harvard Business school, has a background in product development
and corporate innovation, having worked at Nestle and Unilever before launching
her own company.
Gagnon, founder and CEO of Isbel: Dominique, a
graduate of Harvard Business school, has a background in product development
and corporate innovation, having worked at Nestle and Unilever before launching
her own company.
Tom Brown, co-founder
of Grouper: Tom worked as an engineer and designer
for about three years before co-launching Grouper in 2011.
of Grouper: Tom worked as an engineer and designer
for about three years before co-launching Grouper in 2011.
Hitching
your horse to another entrepreneur, or even a big company with more structure,
isn’t the worst thing as you gain experience, skills and refine your ideas. Founding
your own business on experience and competence will minimize the risks and
maximize the prospect of a successful outcome and real innovation.
your horse to another entrepreneur, or even a big company with more structure,
isn’t the worst thing as you gain experience, skills and refine your ideas. Founding
your own business on experience and competence will minimize the risks and
maximize the prospect of a successful outcome and real innovation.
When you’re ready to do it on your own, you’ll have the ability to get things
done much more effectively and efficiently- and be the only one in that
networking crowd I will want to speak to.
done much more effectively and efficiently- and be the only one in that
networking crowd I will want to speak to.