How to be entrepreneurial

Thinking about experience…

People have a preconception that successful entrepreneurs start a business with an innovative idea, gut instinct and determination.  But look closely and you will see many successful founders who started their journey as employees.  So, what does this tell us about how to be entrepreneurial? Research into trait theory has proven to be inconsistent and inconclusive with no single profile that captures the diversity in personality.  In contrast, an insatiable thirst for learning followed by autonomous action separates this group from their peers.

A few years of working with entrepreneurs proves that putting learning and experience into practice leads to transformative business ideas.   Many successful entrepreneurs have worked for other organizations directly or indirectly in their area of expertise long before start-up phase.  Learning how business operates and building a network of strong relationships before launch are the first steps to being entrepreneurial.  Experience lays the foundation in the brain for new patterns and ideas to formulate.  This might defy the rationale of ‘diving’ in, but mitigating risk underpins entrepreneurial decision-making.