17 October 2014

The Entrepreneur

SRK                                                          

The Entrepreneur

1 Nov 2014


As told to me across the year (May 2014- Oct 2014) 



What really makes one an entrepreneur? To be honest, I do not know for sure.

All I know is, when the time came to take a career decision, I did not want to be anything else. Did I really want to be an entrepreneur? Nopes, not nearly. But I just couldn't be anything else.Options available: A journalist with one of the best newspapers/agencies, or probably a consulting editor/correspondent with a news firm. But I just couldn't imagine myself in any of those roles.I keep meeting entrepreneurs all the time nowadays. Some very successful, some along the way and a vast majority, just surviving on the fringes. Most of these have left lucrative career options to become an entrepreneur.


But why?


The Myths


Money: It isn't the money. Really. After sometime, you know that money may come and go. It hardly matters as long as you can cover your basic requirements of life. Revenues always remain a number you want to grow. But personal income isn't the reason to be an entrepreneur for many.



Changing the world: 


In my experience I haven't met many entrepreneurs who want to create a big company or change the world. Most are content by creating a successful one, a profitable college or institution that provides jobs and pleases customers.

So what is it that creates and is creating entrepreneurs everyday. What is the genesis of an entrepreneur?So there are two parts to this question



A. What creates entrepreneurs? 


B. What keeps them going against all odds?The Two Driving ForcesWhat I have seen, in my limited experience is that there are two driving forces (there may be others) which lead to creation of entrepreneurs? Mind you, I am not counting the quick-quitters over here (yup, there are many), only the ones who seem to carry on come what may, for at least a couple of years.


1. Glamour: 


The first one is the glamour. The media keeps covering successful colleges and many seem to think that is what an institution to be– at least when they take the plunge. These people initially tend to be quite driven by money, and seem to have lots of big ideas. Many of these however, soon realize that money doesn't come easy. But by that time, they are deep into “the startup stuff”. It can get addictive. Not counting the quitters, they just keep going, and some make it big. The “startup stuff” gradually changes your persona. Those who persevere tend to become different people after sometime. The day-dreams of making crores are gone and are usually replaced by something more practical – dominating a small market, creating great impact on society, etc.What keeps them going if there initial dream of crores is shattered? As I said, becoming an entrepreneur changes your personality (if you persevere). You start to look at the world differently. As the dreamers look around they see a lot of unsolved problems. And many eventually find solutions, some succeed and a small percentage make it big.


2. Being Pissed Off: 


The other kind are those who are pissed off. They do not like the job they are doing, or do not feel they are using their talents to the full extent, or see an opportunity in their current industry. They become entrepreneurs because they feel they can do better professionally, take advantage of a specific problem people are facing. These people tend to become pretty quickly – much faster than the previous group.Why do some of these people persevere? Even if the first idea fails, this group is clearer about its goals. They pivot and reboot. The hopes and aspirations they have just cannot be fulfilled by going back to the job market. That just won't satisfy them. They have been permanently damaged :-)


3. The Third Group: 


And finally there is a third group of entrepreneurs. Mind you, I said there were two forces that create entrepreneurs – and yet I am adding a third group. The reason is that these people are chance entrepreneurs. They are passionate about something and at some stage it seems that an opportunity has presented itself. These guys just want to do what they want to do. They have not become entrepreneurs for changing the world, or for money or for anything else. They just became.This group is also my favourite. 

At an individual level, there may be many reasons. As one entrepreneur put it “We didn't have big expenses like father's illness or sister's wedding (a line from old Bollywood movie referring to problems faced by the Indian middle class), so we became entrepreneurs. We had no responsibilities”, or “I don't know. I guess it was just the right age. I could take any risk I wanted.” and others like “we were working on this stupid project just for fun till we realized it was solving a real problem”. 

But at core, this group just is.I do not think that one falls necessarily in one group or the other. If you are an entrepreneur, you can be a mix of any of those groups, with your reasons partly being from any of those groups. 



Bachie


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Pakistani Christian woman is sentenced to hang for 'blasphemous' comments about prophet Mohammed during row with Muslim women who refused to share water | Shocking: Christian woman Asia Bibi, pictured, has seen her appeal against the death sentence denied