A Hands-On Approach On How To Validate It Once And For All

Okay, so let’s get the boring part out of the way first. Here’s a definition of an entrepreneur:

“Entrepreneurs, in the purest sense, are those who identify a need — any need — and fill it. It’s a primordial urge, independent of product, service, industry or market.” — Forbes

Out of all the definitions I found, this one is my favourite. I like it because it doesn’t talk about business directly. A lot of entrepreneurs don’t start businesses, but they identify a need and fill it.

Conversely, some people start businesses and are not entrepreneurs. Think about people who start businesses and just care about profit, and not the actual need itself. Is it fair to call them “entrepreneurs”?

Below are a series of questions you should ask yourself to know if you are an entrepreneur or not.

The Rules

For each question, simply answer “yes” or “no”.

If you can’t answer a question yourself, ask your partner, your friend, your mom, your dog (though don’t expect anything insightful from them…), etc.

There’s no trick question here. If you answer “yes” to a question, you have a hint of an entrepreneur in you. The more “yes” you give, the more likely that you are an entrepreneur.

If you answer “yes” to all the question, well, you’re a liar. Some are contradictory, yet they are all are traits of an entrepreneur. How many entrepreneurs do you know who both prefer working late, yet wake up super early? That doesn’t add up.

Also note that this is by no means a scientific experiment. I have not done any research on the topic. Rather, these questions come from my own experience as a serial entrepreneur, and by closely following other entrepreneurs.

I numbered the question so they are easier to reference in the comments, as well as a means to provide a point of reference on how far along you are with them. There are 25 questions in total.

Without further ado, it’s time to figure out if you’re an entrepreneur, once and for all!

Do you think you are an entrepreneur?
Do you like to create things?
Do you like helping people solve their problems?
Do you like solving your own problems “creatively”?
Do you push through even when people tell you your idea is bad?
Do you create things from “raw material”? — let’s define “raw material” as something you can readily acquire/purchase.
Do you work very late, when everyone else is asleep?
Do you wake up very early, when everyone else is asleep?
Do you Google yourself out of situations?
Do you prefer working for yourself, instead of for other people?
Do people doubt you when you talk about your own projects?
Do new ideas about ways to improve things keep you up at night?
Did you invest in crypto-currency?
Did you invest in crypto-currency 5–9 years ago?
Are your bank investments somewhat risky?
Are you a self-starter? Have you initiated projects yourself?
Have you started a business before?
Have you started more than one business?
Have you rejected an offer to sell a business?
Have you organized groups of people working together towards the same goal?
Have you taken a loan to execute your own project(s)?
Have you ever pitched to an investor?
Have you ever raised money?
Is working on own your project(s) your idea of fun?
Is working on your project(s) sometimes more enticing than hanging out with your friends?

Conclusion

Et voilà! It wasn’t too bad, was it? Did you figure it out?

Are you an entrepreneur or not?

The truth is, if you answered “yes” to the first question, you’re probably right, and the rest of the questions just confirmed it for you.

On the flip-side, if you answered “no” to the first question, the rest of the questions may have changed your mind.

There’s no real answer as to the number of “yes” you should have answered to know you’re an entrepreneur.

Just one “yes” is enough to say you’ve got a hint of an entrepreneur in you.

5–10 “yes” is a good indication that you are an entrepreneur, but may not have fully realized it yourself.

Above 10 “yes”, you probably already knew you were an entrepreneur. But it’s nice to validate it, no?

So, to all you entrepreneurs out there, whatever you are working on, I have four words for you:

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)