Who are the entrepreneurs? Age, Academics, Business Background, etc.

— Other — 3 minutes read

Experiences and character traits play a vital role in the emergence of an entrepreneur.

There is a universal debate across geographies on what contributes to the emergence of successful entrepreneur. Research carried at different places tends to deliver mixed opinions on the characteristic features of an entrepreneur. Passion, planning, team building, negotiation, financial acumen, willingness to learn, always look for new opportunities, and no fear for failures, focus and commitment are some of the paramount ingredients in the making of an entrepreneur.

Creating the right atmosphere can make entrepreneurial leaders. Research shows that majority of people ventured into entrepreneurism at their young age. That is majority of people started business when they are in mid and early 30s beyond this age very fewer people had started and succeeded in business owing to commitments in life.

Academics - Business


People like Steve jobs of Apple and the famed Google guys, Sam Morgan of Trade me NZ had started their company straight after college. Other set of people had acquired skills through work after studies and started their own ventures.

Work experience - Business


David Duffield of people soft fame had said his education and work experience had influenced him in starting the venture. The 30 billion dollar A.V BIRLA GROUP, which runs the Canadian novelis, is spread across many countries is inherited by the scion in top slot only after education, which is followed by work experience in another company.

The road to be a successful entrepreneur is not without obstacles- is the common perception in the minds of people. But only few dare to take the risk and plunge into the entrepreneurial venture. People have varied notion on entrepreneurship. Olivia Lum of Hyflux in an interview says, “It was a leap of faith “. I had no clear business plan, product or funding. But that didn’t put me off.’ I believe my childhood experience have given me tenacity and determination to make things happen.” and that’s what she did by selling her property, car and jumping into entrepreneurial foray. Within 20 years she became a billionaire, which is a classic example for entrepreneurs are made not born.

Larry Page of Google conveys that he wants to be different in the peer group from his initial days and he was more interested in technology, which led him to start his company eventually. Sam Morgan of Trade Me, an equivalent of Amazon, speaking about entrepreneurship in New Zealand says “our smartest people were training as lawyers, accountants, doctors and engineers because this was the norm and seen as safe. He says we seem to have focused wrongly on building CVs rather than building businesses.

Victoria Kiam who is famous for her Remington electric shavers advertisement shares his view on entrepreneurs that they are risk takers, willing to roll the dice with their money or reputation on the line in support of an idea or enterprise. They willingly assume responsibility for the success or failure of a venture and are answerable for all its facets."

Entrepreneurship is all about seizing the moment, risk taking, and look for opportunity the more we delay the more we go backwards in terms of entrepreneurial success.