Stop going around saying “I’m an Entrepreneur!”

September 26, 2011 / Duane / 17 Comments

And I thought it was just me and my personal insecurities. But apparently not.

I tweeted something that hit a nerve for some and resonated with others.

I’d just seen Richard Branson start a sentence with “As an entrepreneur…” and I said:

At least now I know it’s not just me that tut’s when I see the word “entrepreneur” in someones self-written biography.

As for someone who actually says “I’m an entrepreneur” in response to the question “What do you do?” – one word immediately materialises in my head. It begins with W and ends with anker.

“Entrepreneur” is a word others use to describe you.
It’s not a word you should use to describe yourself.
Unless you’re Richard Branson, perhaps.

Still, it could be worse, they could be referring to themselves as Thought Leaders or a Gurus – or both!

About Duane Jackson

From childrens' homes to prison to business. Founded one of the first B2B SaaS companies, which he sold at the end of 2013. Read more here.

On Amazon: Four Thousand Days - My Journey from Prison to Business Success

Categories: Entrepreneurship, Rants, Social Media

Tags: entrepreneur, guru, small business, thought leader

http://www.fiftybyfifty.com/lifeoffarhan/ Farhan Lalji

While I totally agree, I wonder how you describe yourself when people ask what you do?

Ceo, b**ch?

I run things?

Maker of stuff?

Managing director?

other?
- http://www.kashflow.com Duane Jackson
  
  What’s wrong with just “I run a small software company”?
  - http://twitter.com/PaulDDrabble Paul David Drabble
    
    I think because there is a danger that you may convince yourself you run a “Small Software Company” isn’t it better to run a software company and let others decide if its large medium or small
    - http://www.kashflow.com Duane Jackson
      
      OK then, just “I run a software company” : )
      
      Or occasionally if I’m feeling particularly lazy conversation-wise then it’s “I work at a software company” or “I’m a programmer”
      - http://twitter.com/mattchedit Matt Chatterley
        
        I’m with you there, Duane – I always tell people what I (and we) do – rather than just “titling” myself. I used to find it really hard and shy away from it, but over time have gotten comfortable with it – “what I do” isn’t as simple as a word or two in a job title – and it’s fun to explain!
  - http://www.fiftybyfifty.com/lifeoffarhan/ Farhan Lalji
    
    Nothing wrong with it at all, though I think you can take out the “small”.
    
    Personally, I don’t mind the “entrepreneur” tag, a Dr doesn’t go around saying “I make people better” and a Lawyer doesn’t going around saying “I write/read a lot of documents”, think having one word to describe what you do is not a bad thing – especially when you travel and customs forms ask you what you do – I still write engineer in there, even though I haven’t got an eng degree and don’t code as much as I used to. We just need a better word that doesn’t make people sound like w***er.
    - http://www.kashflow.com Duane Jackson
      
      But “entrepreneur” isn’t a profession like Lawyer or Doctor. It’s not a job title either, is it? I don’t go around entrepreneuring all day, I’m running a company.
      Forms and immigration that ask for an occupation still stump me though.
      - http://www.fiftybyfifty.com/lifeoffarhan/ Farhan Lalji
        
        Disagree, I don’t think Dr’s go around Dr’ing and Lawyers don’t go around Lawyering either. Building a company is definitely hard work and like it or not you’re a professional at it – I’m still a work in progress.
        
        I totally get where you’re coming from and agree with your assessment of the use of the word but still think we need a word to use for people who build companies as they provide a much more valuable service than a lot of “professions” our there. Where would the accountants and lawyers be without people starting and building big businesses? Why do they get words that describe their profession which everyone understands and yet their clients don’t?
- http://twitter.com/mattian Mattian IT Support
  
  I imagine like this:
  
  Duane Jackson, Founder and CEO, KashFlow Software (see next to his avatar!)
Anonymous

Wondering whether I am overdoing it myself

“Tech StartUp Founder (edocr.com & CRMthis.com) + Builder of ecosystems (Techcelerate.org & TechCentreManchester.com)”

I do describe myself as “I run a tech company” and “I am trying to be a tech entrepreneur”

I may have opted to describe “I am techentrepreneur” sometime – guilty as charged

To me: Does it really matter? What matters is that the other party understand what you do quickly, so that the conversation could focus on mutually beneficial issues.
http://twitter.com/OctoInkjet Martin Smallridge

Having watched the various guru’s and range of genii to numptys utilising the “title” of entrepreneur, I’ve come to interpret the word to mean one of the following:

– Idiot without portfolio
– Idea realiser (someone who can see an idea and actually do something with it)
– Any variation on the “I’m considerably richer than y’ow” theme where it’s used as one-upmanship to sound big and important but it’s mainly an ego trip or wishful thinking
– Too busy doing the things that someone else has said can’t be done (or, at least, trying to look like they are)
– Someone who does so many ruddy things that you might as well list what they don’t do for speed.

Invariably it seems the ones who fit into the second category are the ones who talk less about it and do more about getting it done and the latter group don’t have the time to talk about it and just grab at the moniker simply because it’s easier than spending 15 minutes trying to explain.

Anyway… work to do…
Entrepreneur

I think therefore I am.
Simon

Playing up what you do in a job title is cringeworthy. It just so happens that the word entrepreneur is broad enough to hide behind for many.
Pingback: What People Think Entrepreneurs Actually Do()
http://www.uksolarpanelshop.co.uk Mark Sadler

I really struggle with the word, as you say it is not used to describe yourself (Except Richard). I have implied that I am an Entrepreneur when tweeting on one occasion, and felt like a w**ker doing it. But I do see the logic of “Anonymous” above, quickly it gets over the what do you do question – but I don’t like it. I tell people that I run a couple of websites.

I am increasingly annoyed that in our language we are starting to refer to self employed people as entrepreneurs, as Michael E Gerber says “If an accountant quits his job and starts working for himself as an accountant getting bogged down in his work as he did when employed, then that person has suffered an entrepreneurial fit” meaning he started off entrepreneurially, but stopped working “on” his business and started working “in” his business. Therefore making the transition from entrepreneurial accountant to self employed accountant.

George Bush once said “The problem with the French is that they have no word for entrepreneur” Strangely he is kind of right. In France an entrepreneur is a self employed person, as it may soon be in the UK.

When I was younger I wanted to ‘work for myself’ now society is telling young people to ‘become entrepreneurs’. Perhaps it is a way to reduce the unemployment figures but I’m skeptical.

Of course there is a simple solution to this debate “Ask Richard” If he calls you an Entrepreneur then perhaps you are?
Then when asked what do you do? You can reply “Well Richard Branson calls me an entrepreneur”
Richard Holway

“Still, it could be worse, they could be referring to themselves as Thought Leaders or a Gurus – or both!”

Oh dear. Bang goes 45 years hard graft!
- Duane Jackson – Founder & CEO
  
  Others call you a Thought Leader. So that’s fine : )
  
  As I often tell you, I quoted you in my first ever business plan for KashFlow. So I guess that makes you a “visionary” too!

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