The Common Misconception of Entrepreneurship
The majority of people consider being an entrepreneur as an easy path to success, fame, and fortune, but most do not see the other end of being an entrepreneur. Statistically, entrepreneurs have extremely low odds of achieving wealth, status or success. Even worse, entrepreneurs can work incredibly hard, do everything right and still not flounder in the end. Many factors are simply out of our control. Do it all perfectly and, at best, it still comes down to a roll of the dice.Many of these kids have bought into the startup mythos. They want entrepreneurship to be a deterministic meritocracy. Unfortunately, it isn't. I explained that all the skill and effort in the world merely earns us a spin at the wheel of fate. Therefore, I argued, the only rational reason to play this game is if we can be happy even if we "lose". The journey had better be its own reward, because it's probably the only reward we're going to get. As an entrepreneur, you have to be prepared to put your heart and soul into a project and yet see it fail, but then bounce right back with another project with a more experienced mindset.
Don't be an entrepreneur for the wealth, fame, or success typically associated with being an entrepreneur, rather, be an entrepreneur if you want to change society.
