Interview an Entrepreneur

Each student will interview an entrepreneur of their choice. The goal is to provide you with insights about entrepreneurship that cannot be obtained from classroom experience alone. While it would be great to find an entrepreneur that has a business related to your current major, this is not required. Once you have identified the person you will interview, formulate 7-10 questions that you will ask. Focus on themes that will assist you in developing your own understanding and skills of entrepreneurship. After the interview write a reflection paper that summarizes the responses your were given. Please include your own reflections and opinions of the information obtained during the interview. This is a course that goes by quickly so choose someone who is easily accessible to you if possible. You can choose an individual who was an entrepreneur at one time. They do not currently have to be an entrepreneur.

Items to include in the paper:

  • Describe the entrepreneur’s background, motivations for starting the venture, challenges in growing the venture.
  • Discuss how the findings of the interview apply or are meaningful to you. What have you learned about your own potential to be an entrepreneur? 

The paper should:

Tips:

  • Do not wait to set up an appointment. Entrepreneurs by definition are busy people and you need to fit into their schedule.  
  • You should prepare questions in advance.   
  • You should develop an efficient means for taking notes or capturing the key points made by the entrepreneur.  
  • Be sure to examine the effect of the venture on the person’s entire life. 

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