Entrepreneurship in Chaos — Part 1
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
-Inigo Montoya, (The Princess Bride)
A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil and causes a hurricane in Florida.
Chaos.
A mathematician is perplexed because every time she enters the same numbers into an equation, it produces wildly different results.
Chaos.
When the mathematician graphs these equations, the output mimics the beautiful, irregular, patterns found in nature.
More Chaos.
When theologians talk about the unformed “nothingness” that preceded the formation of the universe — this too is Chaos.
The rest of us use the common dictionary definition:
Chaos — A state of utter confusion or disorder.
Let’s see how fast we can cause some utter confusion: Just ask the question:
“Who is an entrepreneur?”
Which Door?
Stealing an old joke about economists: If you were to ask 100 people, ‘who is an entrepreneur?’, you’d get 800 different answers. This is not merely a disagreement over the definition of a word, it’s a religious war. People defend their definition with the same passion they defend the superiority of their home football team. Almost everyone, in some form, identifies as an entrepreneur — or at least as entrepreneurial. If you attack the definition, you attack their identity.
But in the 21st century no definition is ever quite etched in stone, and no identity is as rigid as we think. Just ask “who is a man,” or “who is a woman?” We’re accustomed to ‘it depends on who you ask’ definitions, and ‘I know it when I see it’ identities. Agreement on definitions and on identity matters. Vague definitions have tangible consequences. It matters. Whether you are building a men’s restroom, or you are offering funding for entrepreneurs: Who is allowed through that door?
Cosmo Quizzes
In a recent Forbes Magazine, respected venture capitalist and writer Josh Linkner channeled comedian Jeff (“you might be a redneck if …”) Foxworthy, by riffing: You might be an entrepreneur if …
Mr. Linkner then parodied a flood of serious articles and posts — each having a criteria and checklist for prescribing whether or not you are an entrepreneur. These checklists are easy fodder for parody.
Popular headlines shared by these checklists include: “20 ways to know if you’re an entrepreneur.,” or “Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?”
When trying to define if you’re an entrepreneur, these checklists take on the scientific rigor of a Cosmo magazine personality quiz. It’s hard not to get cynical and downright sarcastic when reading these definitions.
Here’s a sampling, along with some comments.ii Taken from various articles and blog entries — these bromides and general statements about entrepreneurs are so ubiquitous that no accurate attribution could ever be given. As long as this list may seem, trust me — it’s very small sample of what’s out there:
“If you believe that anything is possible, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… that would include Peter Pan, and basically any 4 year old.
“If you see opportunity when others see impossibility, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… or maybe instead you are bank robber or a pirate.
“If you embrace that it’s never too late to start living a dream, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… can I embrace while sitting in my living room recliner, and be an entrepreneur?
“If you’re taking risks, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… like a mountain climber, a circus acrobat? a cliff diver? or a day trader?
“If you’re scared, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… I suppose then, being mugged at gunpoint creates a lot of entrepreneurs.
“If you’re trying, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… well, that’s casting a pretty wide net.
“If you’re contributing to something bigger than yourself, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… just like the churchgoer who puts a dollar in the basket?
“If you’re asking questions, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… just like a student, or journalist?
“If you’re determined, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… just like the guy determined to break into my car?
“If you’re making tough decisions, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… I guess that makes the President an entrepreneur too.
“If you believe that ‘nothing is unrealistic,’ you’re an entrepreneur.”
… So do a great many people who take hallucinogenic drugs …
“If you’re creating jobs, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… now we’re talking. Then again, Wal-Mart creates jobs too.
“If you’re hustling, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… I guess that depends on which definition of the word “hustle” you’re using.
“If you’re passionate about something, anything, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… that’s setting the bar a little low, isn’t it?
“If you feel overwhelming love, you’re an entrepreneur.”
… what the hell does this even mean?
Notice anything in common about all these definitions? For starters, they aren’t definitions at all. They are statements of personal attributes, qualities and beliefs, as opposed an activity or outcome. Here’s example of a specific occupational definition: “if, in your full-time profession, you regularly use rigorous design methods to write code that computers execute to solve problems, then you are a software engineer.”
Without describing the unique activities and the expected outcomes, entrepreneurship definitions are toothless. Otherwise we could just use personal attributes to define any profession: You’re a software engineer ‘if you’ve never worn a tie, or long pants to work’1, or ‘if you have complete disdain for MBAs and marketing majors’. Stereotypes like these can be applied to almost anyone — especially if they are looking for an identity.
The Forer Effect
When I was a freshman in high school taking my first psychology class, Mrs. Michaels conducted an experiment. Walking into the classroom that morning, we were greeted by 12 stacks of paper on a table in the center of the room. Each stack was labeled with a date-range and a zodiac sign. We were instructed to take a page from the stack that corresponded to our own birthday.
I sat down and read the page. Being a Leo, I already knew what to expect: Qualities that implied high-intelligence, leadership, compassion, creativity with some spurts of stubbornness and childishness. Something about being a highly-sought out romantic partner was in there too. Yup that was me, a typical Leo. No surprise.
We all had fun seeing ourselves in standard astrological personality profiles. My profile even listed some cool movie stars, rock stars, leaders and historical figures who shared my zodiac sign. I smiled because I was in good company.
We were instructed to use our highlighters to identify the passages which accurately described our personalities, and to use a blue pen to underline the passages we thought better described other people.
Mrs. Michaels polled the class. How many people highlighted most of the traits in their horoscope profile? Everyone raised their hands. How many people underlined? Almost no one. It was uncanny how accurate these were.
Then, she asked one of the students born under Taurus to read their profile. It was exactly the same as mine. Verbatim. In fact, everyone’s zodiac profile was identical. We fell for it: List out a litany of subtly flattering traits, along with a few traits that justify and glorify your faults and you’ll identify with any label.
Psychologists call this The Forer Effect.ii Re-read those entrepreneurship self-tests. Do you see it now?
We Are All Entrepreneurs?
Everybody’s a dreamer and everybody’s a star,
And everybody’s in movies, it doesn’t matter who you are.
- Celluloid Heroes (Ray Davis — The Kinks)
Being described as an entrepreneur always sounds positive, adventurous and creative. There’s even a sense of intrigue and romance. The entrepreneur is seen as the rogue individual who innovates to beat the odds: Hans Solo versus the Evil Empire or David versus Goliath. Everyone loves it when the underdog beats the giant.
Genuine entrepreneurs are by default blood relatives of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Sarah Blakely and other self-made forces-of-nature who changed the world.
Entrepreneurs are the rock stars of our generation, so who wouldn’t want to wear the label?
Catering to this desire, thousands of articles proffer titles with the feel-good clickbait message: “Everyone is an entrepreneur”; “we are all entrepreneurs.”
Perhaps what these writers really want to say is ‘everyone could be an entrepreneur,’ or ‘everyone is capable of becoming an entrepreneur.’ This is charming and motivating, but utterly meaningless — and it diminishes those who really are entrepreneurs. Hmm, let’s see if this applies to other vocations or professions: Everyone’s an astronaut. Everyone’s a fireman. Everyone’s a doctor.
So what? What would happen if each person could just make up their own definition, so they too identified as an entrepreneur? We don’t have to guess; it’s already happened …
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i Taken from various articles and blog entries — these bromides and general statements about entrepreneurs are so ubiquitous that no accurate attribution could ever be given.
ii Forer Effect: It is an observation that people connect the given general information of their personality with their specific character or an event. Also known as
“Barnum Effect,” Wikipedia, last modified on November 6, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect.
iii Chart — credits vary,
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1 My apologies to all software engineers for the stereotypes.
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Excerpted from the book: The Age of Metapreneurship — A Journey into the Future of Entrepreneurship, by CJ Cornell (May 2017, Venture Point Press)
For more on T-Ball Entrepreneurship, and other issues in modern entrepreneurship, read The Age of Metapreneurship by CJ Cornell
Author — THE AGE OF METAPRENEURSHIP. Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship. Speaker, Advisor etc. — Startups. Funding
