Introduction

At the start of this course I didn’t know much about entrepreneurship but now after reaching the end I can say I have gained the foundational knowledge and have learned the correct steps to take to becoming a successful entrepreneur. I’ve had the perception for a long time that entrepreneurship is a career of falsehood but this was mainly because I was mainly concerned with certainty. I had that perception because with entrepreneurship you only hear and know about the successful entrepreneurs and all the smaller ones are treated irrelevant. After taking this class I learned that in entrepreneurship success doesn’t define you, it’s about having the courage to take that step into uncertainty and enjoying the journey.

Knowledge and Skills Development

The material from this course is very unique and interesting. Just about every college course I’ve taken the material was strict and boring and had to be from a black and boring book, or website by an author who has 500 qualifications, this class differs. The content from this class derives from mainstream media, things we have heard of, people we relate to or like, or materials we might consume. Learning content from resources like Harvard Business, Forbes and other daily mainstream media has been very beneficial because it allows me to feel more comfortable with the content especially since I already consume it. An area I have mostly improved in is handling failure and innovating from there. There are two quotes from this course that have been revolutionary for me, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”–Thomas Edison… “If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong.”–Charles Kettering. To me these quotes mean that if a method you are using isn’t working then you simply need to try another way because there is no right way to do something. I have incorporated this mindset into my life and daily habits.

Challenges and Overcoming Them

A challenge I faced in the course and something I have been dealing with for a long time was having a closed mindset. I like to keep my plans and endeavors private and a secret because I have this idea that if you tell people your plans then you won’t succeed or someone might steal your idea. I have overcome this challenge because this class gave me the courage to share, build, and connect with others. I learned that even if you do tell someone your plans they won’t be able to execute the way it should be and it is also simply good to share ideas and identify areas of improvement. Sharing your ideas can also bring you support because someone might like the idea and would like to invest in you.

Evolving Perspectives on Entrepreneurship

This class has completely evolved my perspective on entrepreneurship. Over the term, I have learned that entrepreneurship isn’t solely based on success but rather having the courage to invest your ideas and believe in yourself. I have also gained a positive insight on the aspect of risk taking and leveraging debt. Coincidentally I am taking Econ so I am learning about the economy, so pairing that risk taking I am learning ways on how to take a shot at the economy net gain a positive return. I do think as entrepreneurs we have a social responsibility to make a positive impact in our communities and positively affect consumers.

Future Growth and Development Goals

Based on my self-evaluation and after doing some self reflection I think an area I need to improve in to develop as an entrepreneur is my leadership. To better improve my leadership I need to be more effective and deliberate in communication. I plan to do this by starting small and expressing myself more because communication is paramount when running a business.

AHMED-KARGBO

Self-Evaluation of Entrepreneurial Growth