A Series of Small Things
Random Thoughts on Building Venture-Backed Companies in the Midwest
Nature or nurture, it’s all mom’s fault
5.9.10 by Dov
Happy Mother’s Day!
Celebrating with wife and mom today got me thinking about the question of how entrepreneurs are made. Do they have it taught to them by college entrepreneurship programs like some of the great ones we have in region? Or is it something you’re just born with?
Personally, my take is that it’s the latter. My kids (and their friends, from what I can observe) seemed to come out of the womb already having varying degrees of entrepreneurial leanings. While they’re all full of energy and imagination, some prefer to start new things (ex. creating rules for a new game) with mixed results, while others prefer to work on perfectly executing the tried and true. Parents and schools can provide knowledge – what sorts of things work best, how do you write a business plan, etc. – and at some level, parental attitudes probably nurture or quash budding entrepreneurs (“A lemonade stand? What a great idea!”). But fundamentally, either you’re an entrepreneur or you’re not. And while non-entreprenurial folks are highly valuable to larger companies, as they keep everything from descending into chaos, early-stage companies are already chaotic and require a staff of people who can not just tolerate, but thrive in that environment.
So what do you think? Were you born an entrepreneur (or not) or did you have some life experience that made you that way? Leave us a comment. And call your mom.
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