Entrepreneurship Class Based on Apprentice?
Hiranya Fernando, WG'04
Issue date: 10/11/04 Section: Perspectives
6. You must have passion for what you are doing. Dangerous idea. Enthusiasm, ok. Zest, certainly. But passion in business should be steered clear of. It conjures up too many images of late nights, office affairs, and sleazy colleagues.
7. You must learn to come up with new and innovative ideas that produce meaningful and perceptive differences, and be able to communicate that idea. Okay.
8. You must surround yourself with a great team. As opposed to what - a bad team?
9. You must constantly reinvent your business. Related to #5 above. Change and reinvention are overrated. Look no further than this list, which could read Top 10 Ways to Be a Successful --Choose from any of the following: Leader, Team-player, Manager, Businessman/woman, Mother... Human Being.
10. You must always be ready to "jumpstart your brain." Most ordinary folks would think this is what they all must do every morning when the alarm sounds. I'm a bit disillusioned to learn that this is now reserved for the would-be entrepreneur, that most rare of creatures.
But, seriously, the point of all this (yes there is a point... ish) is not to be disparaging for the sake of it but to highlight what a load of nonsense these sort of lists are. They state nothing beyond the obvious and make generalizations that are so sweeping that they are utterly unhelpful.
And they are dangerous. Advice like this does a disservice to young people who want to be entrepreneurs. For one, it is misleading and romantic. For another, it makes it sound like entrepreneurs are night creatures bouncing off the walls with crazy creative energy, a sky-diving level appetite for risk, and a bunch of rare gifts from God. In reality, aspiring entrepreneurs, like any other group of ambitious young people, are trying very hard to be focused, consistent, organized, conscientious, and hard working. Talk to anyone who is serious about starting their own business and they will tell you that what it takes is not talent, rarity or gifts, but patience, resilience, and hard work. It's the tortoise, stupid, not the hare.
7. You must learn to come up with new and innovative ideas that produce meaningful and perceptive differences, and be able to communicate that idea. Okay.
8. You must surround yourself with a great team. As opposed to what - a bad team?
9. You must constantly reinvent your business. Related to #5 above. Change and reinvention are overrated. Look no further than this list, which could read Top 10 Ways to Be a Successful --Choose from any of the following: Leader, Team-player, Manager, Businessman/woman, Mother... Human Being.
10. You must always be ready to "jumpstart your brain." Most ordinary folks would think this is what they all must do every morning when the alarm sounds. I'm a bit disillusioned to learn that this is now reserved for the would-be entrepreneur, that most rare of creatures.
But, seriously, the point of all this (yes there is a point... ish) is not to be disparaging for the sake of it but to highlight what a load of nonsense these sort of lists are. They state nothing beyond the obvious and make generalizations that are so sweeping that they are utterly unhelpful.
And they are dangerous. Advice like this does a disservice to young people who want to be entrepreneurs. For one, it is misleading and romantic. For another, it makes it sound like entrepreneurs are night creatures bouncing off the walls with crazy creative energy, a sky-diving level appetite for risk, and a bunch of rare gifts from God. In reality, aspiring entrepreneurs, like any other group of ambitious young people, are trying very hard to be focused, consistent, organized, conscientious, and hard working. Talk to anyone who is serious about starting their own business and they will tell you that what it takes is not talent, rarity or gifts, but patience, resilience, and hard work. It's the tortoise, stupid, not the hare.