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Definition: entrepreneur

by Mike McDerment  |  November 13/2007  | 

Here’s the best definition of an entrepreneur I’ve ever heard:

“Entrepreneurs are people who are too naive to see the obstacles that are obvious to others”.

I have found myself quoting this phrase a couple times over the past week or so, and while I can’t remember who said it, or if that’s the quote exactly, that pretty much sums it up for me.


 

27 Comments (add comment)

Nov 14/07
2:23 am
Heather says:

Funny… I heard it another way

“Entrepreneurs are people who treat obstacles as daily exercise”

Nov 14/07
8:50 am

[...] be saving this one for the future. Thanks, Mike. Hello There! Thank you for visiting my site. This is the professional blog of Eric Marden, a [...]

Nov 14/07
4:09 pm

[...] Mi sono imbattuto in questa definizione che mi e’ piaciuta moltissimo:   “Entrepreneurs are people who are too [...]

Nov 14/07
6:54 pm
Schwabe says:

I like it! Yet the concept is a double-edged sword.

An entrepreneur can overcome obstacles & achieve a high level of success with this “naive perspective” although…

Conversely, if you’ve got the wrong strategy – the harder you work the deeper of a whole you dig. All the hard work, commitment & dedication in the world will do nothing with no plan.

You could be “doing all the right things for the wrong people”. So i think it’s important to maintain macro perspective.

—Schwabe

Nov 17/07
4:10 am
Luis says:

So many people love to call themselves entrepreneurs, but they are slaves of their own business.

Entrepreneurs are the ones who work ON a business, not IN a business.

If you can go away for a two month vacation, and your business is still there when you return, then you’re an entrepreneur.

I’m a slave of mine, because it’s built specifically around what I offer personally and professionally, not as a systematized beast that can grow on its own.

I’m not an entrepreneur.

Luis

Nov 21/07
3:09 pm
Kemper says:

Gosh I thought the word was “Entomanure”
That’s what I’m into. The word manure came from Middle English “manuren” meaning “to cultivate land,” Well I’m cultivating the web landscape.

Jan 10/08
7:25 pm
Ruth says:

Well good defined meaning for that word “ENTREPRENUER”

Jul 18/08
4:31 am
kane says:

i like to become an entrepreneur someday,

Aug 11/08
6:31 am
noludwe says:

Which means entrepreneur is businessman or ownner of the business

Sep 17/08
5:17 am
alex says:

It’s an aye opener, creative and makes me think.

Oct 6/08
6:19 am
Karishma says:

An entrepreneur is someone who can think “outside the box”. He is on who possesses unique qualities.

The world of an entrepreneur is so fascinating!!!!

Oct 6/08
9:47 am
Auv says:

An entrepreneur is someone who dare to take up the challenge….living in the life of entrepreneur is so amazing…..We need entrepreneurs in the world of business not managers…..as an entrepreneur builds an enterprise; the technician builds a job!!!!!

Oct 6/08
9:49 am

@Auv – entrepreneurs need managers to scale their businesses, so don’t sell managers short.

Oct 7/08
3:57 am
Dhrumit Gandhi says:

Enterpreneur is a person who creat something new.New could be any like new product,new systam,new income etc.

Oct 21/08
4:12 am
Rugarabamu Kabyoma says:

An entrepreneur is a person who plans ahead in order to provide commodities, socio-economic needs, and other requirements for a certain society or geographical area and paticular period of time. He/she bares all entire profits and risks of the entreprise.

Feb 5/09
4:31 am
OWOLABI SUBAIR says:

An entrepreneur is an individual who starts a business on its own and runs it alone an entrepreneur can also be caled an employee because an entrepreneur with a large organisation will also employ people to com and work for him in his organisation

May 7/09
11:00 pm
suhail says:

A person who organizes,operate and assumes the risk of the business venture is called Entrepreneur.

Jul 23/09
8:39 am
prateek says:

Entrepreneur is one who changes innovations into a commercial oppurtunity.

Aug 11/09
7:33 am
khalid says:

its an easy job! it happens in the mind

Jan 11/10
12:12 pm
anand says:

enterprenure is a kye person who envigases new opprtunity,new technology,new line of production,new products and coordinates

Feb 22/10
4:08 am

Entrepreneurship is about being dynamic and prudent in running a business to make genuine money and profit.

It also includes the ability to manage men and material with integrity which is the flesh to the business

Jun 17/10
3:40 am

Thnx……….. XD

Jul 13/10
1:41 pm
dominic says:

an entreprenuer is a processor.one who sees from the words opportunities and act even without adequate knowlegde but believe in the profit from the informations

Nov 27/10
12:13 pm
Ramindu says:

@Luis says:– “Entrepreneurs are the ones who work ON a business, not IN a business.

If you can go away for a two month vacation, and your business is still there when you return, then you’re an entrepreneur.”—-

Not exactly Lous..you may be exhausted with the idea but what you said does not give a definition for an Entreprenuer, it would best fit for some of the following adjectives :
Successful entrepreneur, Smart entrepreneur etc..

All entreprenuers including my self and highly successful giants like Mark Zuckerburg had to and have to work around the clock..It’s part and parcel of becoming an Entreprenuer..

Good luck!

Dec 11/10
4:21 am
tooba ghumro (news anchor) says:

an entrepreneur is a person of very high aptitude who pioneers change, possessing characteristics found in only a very small fraction of the population. On the other extreme of definitions, anyone who wants to work for himself or herself is considered to be an entrepreneur.

Feb 3/11
10:14 am
IBE KENNETH OSI says:

IT IS PRINCIPLE OF WORK DONE FROM THE BASE TO THE BRIM THROUGH ORGANIZING AND PROCESSING TO GET A GOAL.

FORMULA : M+M MANAGING MAN + MATERIAL

Oct 19/11
7:51 am
ukonu peterjunior says:

why say entrepreneurs are naive individuals


 

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