Neat Little Boxes

What is an Entrepreneur?

A formal definition would be something like: "a person who creates and organises a new business or enterprise." It's a good starting point, but the virtues of entrepreneurship run far deeper. To do justice to the rich experience of developing something new, something that you care about, we need to dig a little deeper.

As human beings, we're more than simple labels. The type of person who decides to have a go will tend to question commonly held views. In short, they'll say "I can do it better." In a way, they're not unlike revolutionaries. A society becomes more open (and prosperous) as a result of these revolutionary acts. The curious and the creative transform society through innovation.Great oaks from little acorns grow

Innovation

Anton Howes, a historian of innovation, makes the point that people "innovate because they are inspired to do so — it is an idea that is transmitted. And when people do not innovate, it is often simply because it never occurs to them to do so. Incentives matter too, of course. But a person needs to at least have the idea of innovation — an improving mentality — before they can choose to innovate, before they can even take the costs and benefits of innovation into account."

Amazingly, innovation doesn't need to be especially complicated. Too often we confuse innovation with invention. Innovation is the creation of new concepts through the combination of improbable things. This remixing of unlikely partners is at the root of all creativity. And so we find that artists and entreprenuers have similar mindsets: a reluctance to accept the status quo and a need to express themselves.

Create Value

As we've now seen, this all begins with a decision to transform something. Typically a tool, product, service or aspect of life. The innovative mindset will lead you on a journey of self-discovery: taking on the world, making something work, finding your unique voice.

Everyone has a dream inside them — an instinctive motivation to say something they feel is important. Developing a new venture is itself a profoundly creative act. Commercial self-expression can be a part of personal self-expression.

Today, shifts in technology — coupled with ease of access to manufacturing, goods, and services — have dramatically lowered the barriers to entry and enabled creative entrepreneurs to capture the value of their output for themselves.

Your Future

Focus on Difference

It's OK to be different. We're now in a world where people can turn personal skills and interests into new, self-sustaining businesses. Find your niche, then commit to it.

Freedom

Autonomy

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of entrepreneurship is how there is no single roadmap for success. You get to define it on your own terms. You have freedom to choose when and how you work, what you prioritise, and who you work with.