Are you a born entrepreneur?

I've always taken an interest in the nature vs nurture debate.   Like science my views have moved like a pendulum,  but since the arrival of our fraternal twins the pendulum has swung more to the nature side.

I wondered when CNN published "Can entrepreneurship be taught?" if it would show that some people are just born entrepreneurs.  Based on the following quotes from successful entrepreneurs in the article you would certainly think so:

"It's in the DNA."

"Entrepreneurship is about having guts -- something professors cannot teach."

and

"The passion for your business is not something you can learn in a classroom."

The pendulum looks like being very much on the nature side, but is there anything helpful that can be learnt?  Business schools have entrepreneurship classes and these classes also include practical trials where students can make mistakes and learn from them.  Everyone learns by their mistakes and that includes entrepreneurs so these classes should prove useful.  However, most entrepreneurs don't do these classes and invariably learn the hard way.

Personally, I picture it like an individual running. Some people are just better at it than others, but to be successful you need to train hard and have the support of a good team.

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Comments

[Julian Flitter]

I feel I have to agree, whilst teaching can add to your knowledge base and indeed help to increase confidence - the underlying "heart" of an entrepreneur cannot be implanted.

[David Terrar]

This is tricky debate. Part of the requirement is to be driven, and have the guts to take a risk. However, like selling, the rest of the techniques required can be taught or acquired. A good place to start is the Carnival of Entrepreneurship - a traveling weekly blog carnival featuring the best of the entrepreneurial blogosphere:
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/entrepreneurblogs/a/entrecarnival.htm