...or is it an innate trait that some people have?
Discuss.
Discuss.
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Can Enterprenuership/Business Acumen Be Learned?
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Last: 5 days ago by Forest Bueller_bf
Part of me wants to say yes and I think the answer is dependent on what you mean.
Can anyone learn to be a super successful entrepreneur…no, I don't think so.
1) most people are far too risk averse and that's somewhat innate.
2) most people are incapable of the vision needed to become ultra successful. For example; "I want to go to the moon"…well "I want to go to Mars"…"you can't go to Mars, that's stupid"…"I'm going to find a way to go to Mars". The vision that says you can do things no one has ever done, regardless of what that something is, is so very rare.
3) almost no one has the resolve needed. The overwhelming majority of people quit after failure. The ultra successful don't. They fail many times over before that success comes.
Now…if you mean, can you learn to own your own business and work for yourself and replace your 9-5. Yes, I think the majority of people can but point number 1 up there gets in the way. There's a feeling of security that comes with knowing your check is coming next Friday. If you can just get past that hurdle there's no reason anyone can't be successful enough to never have to punch a time clock.
Can anyone learn to be a super successful entrepreneur…no, I don't think so.
1) most people are far too risk averse and that's somewhat innate.
2) most people are incapable of the vision needed to become ultra successful. For example; "I want to go to the moon"…well "I want to go to Mars"…"you can't go to Mars, that's stupid"…"I'm going to find a way to go to Mars". The vision that says you can do things no one has ever done, regardless of what that something is, is so very rare.
3) almost no one has the resolve needed. The overwhelming majority of people quit after failure. The ultra successful don't. They fail many times over before that success comes.
Now…if you mean, can you learn to own your own business and work for yourself and replace your 9-5. Yes, I think the majority of people can but point number 1 up there gets in the way. There's a feeling of security that comes with knowing your check is coming next Friday. If you can just get past that hurdle there's no reason anyone can't be successful enough to never have to punch a time clock.
I guess I mean all of it.
I would guess that a lot of people have visions of what might be, but successful entrepreneurs have a vision and can translate that into the real world. It's the second half of that which I'm wondering about.
I'd say that Jobs/Wozniak fit into that category, as does Elon Musk.
I'm sure that Musk isn't the only person to think of private space launches, space based internet, or electric cars. But he was the one who was able to manifest these things.
I would guess that a lot of people have visions of what might be, but successful entrepreneurs have a vision and can translate that into the real world. It's the second half of that which I'm wondering about.
I'd say that Jobs/Wozniak fit into that category, as does Elon Musk.
I'm sure that Musk isn't the only person to think of private space launches, space based internet, or electric cars. But he was the one who was able to manifest these things.
Realitybites said:
I guess I mean all of it.
I would guess that a lot of people have visions of what might be, but successful entrepreneurs have a vision and can translate that into the real world. It's the second half of that which I'm wondering about.
I'd say that Jobs/Wozniak fit into that category, as does Elon Musk.
I'm sure that Musk isn't the only person to think of private space launches, space based internet, or electric cars. But he was the one who was able to manifest these things.
So I disagree, somewhat vehemently, that a lot of people have visions of what might be.
In the 1950s lots of people could envision flying cars because they were told "flying care are the future". Virtually no one could envision a future where a computer in your hand allowed you to talk to space in .00001 seconds. We still don't have flying cars.
I think a lot of people have visions of maybe the next iteration of an idea or concept but almost no one has vision of game changing concepts. The next "killer app" as it were. That thing that fundamentally changes life and creates numerous outgrowths.
Jobs genius was not product btw, his genius was UI and seamless integration. The products were largely junk for a long time. But he's a great example of failing over and over until he got it right. That's just not something 99% of people are capable of doing. Failure destroys people.
To Musk; he was one of the first guys to say "can this be done" and when he hears yes he stops listening to the "but" followed by a list of barriers.
I think on the more basic level the reason more people don't become entrepreneurs is what I said; lack of security and high risk aversion followed by basic economic barriers. If you're a person with a good credit score, steady income and $50,000 in the bank there's a lot to risk by starting your own business. If you're someone with no income but a great idea/plan then there's little risk but the economic barriers come in to play.
I just think there are two questions here and they are vastly different.
Innate!Realitybites said:
...or is it an innate trait that some people have?
Discuss.
Are you willing to risk it all? If you have a stay at home wife and 2 small children, are you willing to quit your job and start a business? Are you willing to go millions of dollars in debt? Are you willing to give up 16 hours per day? Skip family vacations for 5 years?
If you answered yes, then you have the makings of an entrepreneur.
BearBall said:Innate!Realitybites said:
...or is it an innate trait that some people have?
Discuss.
Are you willing to risk it all? If you have a stay at home wife and 2 small children, are you willing to quit your job and start a business? Are you willing to go millions of dollars in debt? Are you willing to give up 16 hours per day? Skip family vacations for 5 years?
If you answered yes, then you have the makings of an entrepreneur.
I did $40,000 in business yesterday but I worked from 0430 until I had dinner at 2130 and the rest of the week was trash.
I used to work for a guy who said "some days you're the leader of the circus other days you're just the dancing chicken".
Some days it's great to be in charge. Other days it's nice to just be the dancing chicken.
It helps a bunch if the person with the entrepreneural spirit has a landing spot if they fail.Realitybites said:
I guess I mean all of it.
I would guess that a lot of people have visions of what might be, but successful entrepreneurs have a vision and can translate that into the real world. It's the second half of that which I'm wondering about.
I'd say that Jobs/Wozniak fit into that category, as does Elon Musk.
I'm sure that Musk isn't the only person to think of private space launches, space based internet, or electric cars. But he was the one who was able to manifest these things.
A single mother of 3 who can't miss a paycheck or she will be out on the streets may have the spirit, but
lacks the support base to follow her dream.
A single kid who lives at the house and is basically supported, and we know a bunch of those, can brainstorm ideas for years before they finally come up with a good one, but they sure do every now and then.
It not just the spirit, the the situation a person is in that matters as well.
And of course most people are risk averse, most people like certainly, continuity and not change. They may have a good idea, and maybe even a support base, but they just don't want to take the risk to possibly mess up,.