Academic

Entrepreneurs, like juvenile delinquents, "act and then try to sort things out afterward"

By Gordon Smith, Christine, Hurt, Vic Fleischer, Fred Tung, Lisa Fairfax, David Zaring

Ann points to this CNN story about entrepreneurship research: "Stubborn, delusionally optimistic, creative, fearless, flexible and focused are some of the ways psychologists and business people describe the personality of an entrepreneur. Surprisingly, another word is ignorant."

Well, that about covers it, no?

We can't agree on a definition of "entrepreneur," so it's no surprise that any attempt to describe their personality traits ends up as mush. Here's more:

Psychologist Lynn Friedman, whose clients often include entrepreneurs, said many of them are "tuned into consumer needs." They tend to grow up in nurturing families and learned to value the concept of trying new things.
...
According to Friedman, entrepreneurs "live in the world of action," and they "often need help with slowing down and thinking several steps ahead."

I understand the yearning to understand entrepreneurs through this lens, but it's futile, isn't it? Entrepreneurs -- however defined -- are so varied that any effort to profile them as a group seems silly.

Full post as published by Conglomerate on January 13, 2009 (boomark / email).