Garage Entrepreneurs

by Eric Tags: Business Plan, business schools, Entrepreneur, new opportunities, summer business, tim berry

Dec. 15^th 2009

In my experience, I’ve observed two very different “types” of entrepreneurs.  Let’s call them Generals and Explorers.

The Generals start with a given set of means (military training, political power) and seek to identify the best way to arrive at their goal.  The entrepreneurial Generals begin with a set of means: their abilities, their education/experience, and their networks (who they know) and use this set of means to come up with new ideas/solutions to problems.  They start with a goal (to start a summer business), and look to determine the best (least expensive, fastest, most convenient) way to arrive at their goal.

The Explorers however, are like Christopher Columbus.  They begin their voyages into places they don’t fully understand and allow their destination to emerge over time as they continue on their voyage.  Their business plan may change day-to-day, or month-to-month, but there is always a good story that keeps the team together, and brings in more team members along the way.

So, what type of entrepreneur are you?  An Explorer, or a General?

For the Generals:

• Realize that you can’t fully “learn” entrepreneurship – there are certain things business schools don’t teach (see Tim Berry’s post on this) like how to deal with people, how to find a work-life balance, how to know when to fold (know when it’s time to try something new)
• Your plan will never be perfect, so don’t try to make it that way – it’s an ongoing process
• Always look to expand your set of means: your abilities, your education, your networks – in doing so you will find new opportunities.

For the Explorers:

• Although you can’t “learn” entrepreneurship, there are certain things you CAN learn – meet with experienced entrepreneurs who have been through the process and are willing to share their experiences with you
• Keep yourself motivated by reading entrepreneurial blogs, subscribing to magazines, becoming involved in your entrepreneurial community – you need to keep the vision and the spark alive to bring in talented team members along the way and to keep the team spirit high
• Don’t be discouraged from doing some planning – a plan doesn’t need to be a written document, it’s YOUR plan
• Endurance is key – most people give up just before their first success.

I have a picture in my office depicting the journeys of Christopher Columbus, setting out on voyages into uncharted waters and discovering the New World.  I realize now that our plans are made and unmade on a daily basis.  These changes don’t negate the value of a good plan, but are just a regular part of the entrepreneurial process.

Although the formal business planning is important, the map is a constant reminder to me that I should always be willing to think of my business from an Explorers point of view:  we have a vision for what we’d like to be, and a plan to get us there, but each day presents a new, unique challenge and we should be ready and willing to take it on to move our business forward – so should you.