I wince whenever I hear or read someone calling themselves a “serial entrepreneur.”
To me, the whole concept of “serial entrepreneurship” (and yes, I’m going to keep putting it in scare quotes) is unreal and screwed up. Put on someone’s website, it telegraphs un-trustworthiness and – frankly – skeeviness. I don’t want to do business with a “serial entrepreneur” because I feel like they might flake at any moment.
Why does this simple phrase strike such a chord with me?
Because entrepreneurship is a mindset, not an action.
Entrepreneurship is a way of seeing the world – which is something hard for those on the outside looking in to understand fully.
Merriam-Webster gives the definition of entrepreneur as follows:
Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur (n.)
Etymology: French, from Old French, from entreprendre – to undertakeOne who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.
Entrepreneurs are people who make something out of nothing. They look at the world – at raw materials or experiences – and they build structures around them.
To organize, manage, and assume risks takes a lot of time, money, energy, and general working-your-ass-off. No, understatement: I think that building a business is right up there (in terms of energy expenditure) with raising a child.
The entrepreneurial mindset is one of empiricism. It’s one of “Hm, let me try that!” It’s one of “I love this! Let’s make it work!”
Building a real business takes more dedication than a “serial entrepreneur” possesses.
When I quit the Dreaded Day Job, I wasn’t sure whether inspirIT was going to work out or not. But I believed (and believe!) in the idea, and wanted to give it the best possible start in life. Like any miniature human, a baby business needs its mother (or father) around as much as possible.
I did what I had to do to make that happen.
The point here is not to pat myself on the back. The point is that entrepreneurship is not a “serial” thing. You don’t turn it off. You don’t go home from it at night. It’s continuous. And it wakes you up nights. It follows you to the grocery store, into the shower, while helping your friends move house, and while you sleep. It does not go away.
You are not a “serial entrepreneur” – even if you have many businesses or business ideas.
I’ll let a cat out of the bag here: inspirIT is not the only business I’m working on. I’m cooking up another one along different lines – and it’s going to be amazingly useful and fantastic and uncommonly wonderful for the people I’m serving. But it’s not a technology biggification thing. (It involves biggification – just not technology biggification.)
Doesn’t matter.
Building a business is what I’ve done because that’s who I am.
Because entrepreneurship is a mindset, not an action.
The same mindset – the says “I love this! Let’s make it work!” – goes wherever I go. It’s a part of me.
I can’t – and don’t want to – only be myself in little bursts. Serially.
I can’t – and don’t want to – only share and give of myself in little bursts. Serially.
It’s not possible. And if it’s possible for you, it’s because you’re not really being yourself. You’re not really sharing.
That’s something I notice about most people who call themselves “serial entrepreneurs.”
When I go to their sites, I can feel the fake radiating from the words and images they use. There’s a distinct odor of plastic about the site.
These people exude a different personality in each of their businesses. (Not different aspects of their personality – which we all have. But completely different personalities.)
Which means – essentially – that they’re no one. Or if they’re someone, we don’t get to see it.
Which is sad.
It’s not too sad for me – I just won’t do business with them, and I move on. No harm done.
It’s sad for them. Because being an entrepreneur means you’re in business 24 hours a day. Which means these people are never truly themselves. Never let their hair down. Never let the facade crack.
Can you imagine?
There is no such thing as a “serial entrepreneur.”
There are only entrepreneurs, and… you tell me? Leave a comment below.
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