Myths of Entrepreneurship
Posted by Ashish on September 14th, 2006
This is a cartoon I used (and loved) in a talk I gave in a Management School recently to explain the myths of Entrepreneurship.
Thanks Manish who came up with this cartoon where I was explaining that you don’t start with the mindset that you will be the boss. Instead of that, one needs to have a mindset that he / she is a facilitator.
That apart - I am going to be busier than usual for the next 4 days, so I don’t think I will be able to spend much time blogging or reading blogs till then (even though I have started another post, that should be interesting to people reading this blog). Till then, I will re-direct the readers to Manish’s blog who has started another innings at blogging and this time at his own domain name. Makes me wonder if a domain name gives a stronger feeling of ownership than a sub-domain at Blogspot or Wordpress or others. I will guess - yes!
September 14th, 2006 at 4:17 am
customers, shareholders, etc… are not it,
its ambition that you answer to.
September 14th, 2006 at 12:16 pm
..and did the audience agree with this myth?
September 14th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
btw, are you folks also involved in Socializr?
September 14th, 2006 at 1:49 pm
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” - Steve Jobs
“Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business has two - and only two - functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation create value, all the rest are costs.” - Peter Drucker
And India is overwhelmingly low on innovation.
September 14th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
Naveen - that’s a little more abstract way of looking at things. Ambition is right but more tangibly - it’s the shareholders, stakeholders, customers, employees… everybody.
Nagendra - I believe that I was able to get the message across. I did see nods in the public - I also gave a few examples from real-life, so it was easier. Why do you ask?
Naveed - yes, but I think it’s only becoming better. Give people a little more time. There are 2 kinds of people who do the kind of innovation you are talking about:
1. Who have gone beyond the stage of survival - so they know that the money is no longer the ‘need’ OR they have options (for the entire team) if this doesn’t take off.
2. Who really have no choice
Mostly it’s people in 1) who do that - the odds of somebody from 2) doing is lesser these days unless they are exceptionally genius. Indians need a little more time - I am willing to be patient there.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:05 am
Naveed, ऐसा मत कहो: “India is low on innovation”
Indians atleast are high on innovation.
Besides, lets not get too caught up in the numbers game, its just asking for pain…
its a terrible paradox that necessity is the mother of invention, and we wish we didn’t have necessity. India is in need…
but its still a very fun and tasty place.
September 15th, 2006 at 7:21 am
Ashish, I am fedup of seeing Indians in every field struggling hard to just get into the “survival” mode. It looks like we really have no right to invent or follow our passion.
I too am willing to be patient and see Inda mature from a developing country to a developed and advanced country where people will not have to spend their whole life to get into survival mode.
September 15th, 2006 at 11:58 am
Because no matter what gets said about the challenges involved in becoming an entrepreneur people still seem more interested in taking up the challenge. I hardly see anyone with the passion stepping back.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Yeah - that was the idea Nagendra. I did not mean to discourage (i wouldn’t ever) - I was simply pointing out a few myths that might prepare them better. It’s not at all bad to be answerable to your customers, investors, etc… but it’s good to be prepared so you know exactly what you are getting into so that there is no frustration later because of the difference in expectations.
September 16th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
The cartoon in itself certainly does not seem very encouraging towards entrepreneurship. And in India, how often does one hear from growing up kids that they want to become entrepreneurs when they grow up.
But I agree with you when you say that “..but it’s good to be prepared so you know exactly what you are getting into so that there is no frustration later because of the difference in expectations.”
September 21st, 2006 at 3:15 pm
From 2nd TiE-ISB Connect 2006; a simple & short article
http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/sep/21tie.htm
Read the very 1st line -Entrepreneurship is an attitude,” says Ramalinga Raju. “It’s for people who are willing to fail.”
December 5th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
boss i needed ur 11 myths to discuss it here in Pakistan. i saw the cartoon n its impressive