How Great Entrepreneurs Think
It was so interesting to look at the different mindsets and also to hear each other's experience with those mindsets, both personally and professionally (in our jobs). Dave was the only one who had worked in an true entrepreneur environment which while fitting for the field (IT design/development) was still original in execution. He talked about how the boss would sell an idea to a client, land the job and then come back and tell the team that they had 2 weeks to figure out how to build/design it. The opposite was experienced by the rest of us who have worked in more 'executive' type jobs where a goal is carefully considered, painstakingly planned and then once all the details are finished - then and only then is it 'sold' to the customer. The guys that had been through an MBA program noted that the executive mindset is heavily taught in classes/programs.
The cool part was that each of us had a desire to be more balanced in our personal mindset, to attempt to take the best from both sides as consider future decisions/jobs/opportunities. I tend to think exclusively in the executive mindset, so my goal is to open up my mind to as many entrepreneurial avenues as possible. Some notable lines from the article:
I don't believe in market research. Somebody once told me the only thing you need is a customer. Instead of asking all the questions, I'd try and make some sales. I'd learn a lot, you know: which people, what were the obstacles, what were the questions, which prices work better. Even before I started production. So my market research would actually be hands-on actual selling."
"They don't believe the future is predictable...or they don't want to be in a space that is very predictable.""People chase investors, but your best investor is your first real customer. And your customers are also your best salesmen."
Analyze whether you think you can be successful or not before you worry about the competitors."I'll try to report back on how this goes and what ideas/opportunities ensue...
