| 1. Am I an entrepreneur? Being an entrepreneur can mean different things to different people. I like to think of entrepreneurship as being a person who tries to sell a product or service. I have been a casual entrepreneur for a long time. Even as a child, I would try to sell candy at school but the teachers would always remind me it isn’t allowed. I used to dream of hosting large tournaments with buy-ins and prize support and concessions, but those were just childish endeavors. As an adult, entrepreneurship to me is an opportunity to give back to people. I have always wanted the power and money to be able to help people, and I believe creating something that people want or need is a way of giving back to the community. 2. What is success? My version of success is freedom. I enjoy laughing, playing, and goofing off. In this class I would like to meet new people, use new resources, understand business concepts, and use these principles to build a plan for my retirement. I would like to use my degree to get a better job. I will use the extra money to save up for a house and a small business. Once I have a better paying job, I would like to branch out into more creative things that might not earn me any money but are more fun. That is what success means to me. 3. Am I a self-starter? How well do I follow through on my ideas? I don’t really know what it means to be a self-starter. I owe everything I have to my parents. They made innumerable good decisions to set me up for success. Unfortunately, I don’t often follow through on my ideas. I am eternally grateful to an old friend who shared a bit of wisdom: keep a notebook next to your bed. I always have something with me for recording what happened. I also use my notebooks for plans and ideas. I have pages and pages of ideas written down because I have been writing for years, but I never seem to follow up on them. I know that I am susceptible to a mania that convinces me ALL of my ideas are great, so I write ideas down for further reflection after I calm down. I simply haven’t put time into accomplishing much of anything except whatever oddjob I happen to have ( I had 5 W ‘2s last year ). In order to follow through on my ideas better, I can break goals down into steps then focus on each goal step by step. 4. How does ODU view entrepreneurship? ODU views entrepreneurship as a calculated risk. Entrepreneurs take a risk by starting a business, but with careful planning and calculation it can be rewarding. ODU encourages students to focus on the 9 key elements in preparation for a successful business. ODU also affirms that a successful entrepreneur must plan to stay ahead by continuing to resolve customer issues in fiscally meaningful ways. Entrepreneurship is like a gauntlet of real life problems that are out-to-get your business, and entrepreneurs need a good plan and some emergency supplies if they want to stay in business. 5. What is my role in this ecosystem? My role in this ecosystem so far has been the host of the parasite that is capitalism leeching away my time and work to gain someone else’s leisure. I seek to be the leech. I feel I have potential in a career that would involve convincing people to separate from their money, but I don’t believe in it. Instead of being a leech and giving nothing back, I want to offer a product or service I believe is helpful and live symbiotically with the world. The role of an entrepreneur is more than symbiosis though. Capitalism can parallel natural selection in the sense that people who stand out from the crowd or try something new are more vulnerable. If I want to succeed at innovating, I will need a good plan, a back-up plan, and lots of support from the people around me. And maybe one day when I am successful and free I can become the grass and enjoy feeding everyone while expecting nothing in return. |