Are entrepreneurs artists?
That’s the opinion of Steve Blank, serial entrepreneur and Stanford consulting associate professor. In this short video he explains why:
Do you have that calling? Are you passionate about your idea? Do you wake up in the middle of the night and make notes? Is it the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning? Are you convincing your family that this is what you need to dedicate your life to? If not, Steve Blank’s advice to you is, “don’t even think about doing it because chances of succeeding with a start up are extremely low if you are not driven by passion”.
Entrepreneurship is not a career or salary driven
Entrepreneurial activity is not a job. Entrepreneurs should actually be compared to artists. According to Steve Blank it is a mistake to teach entrepreneurship in ways similar to a business school or engineering curriculum. The curriculum that best fit entrepreneurship is what you find at art school.
Artists are experimental and passion driven
As an entrepreneur you are looking at a blank canvas. And it’s not a question of just painting a coat or two, you have to succeed with producing a masterpiece.
The first person who told me that entrepreneurs are artists was my father. Like Steve Blank, he was a serial entrepreneur and said it to a group of artistic friends of mine when we were having a discussion. Didn’t pay much attention to what he said back then, but actually thought about what he said later in life and realised it was spot on. How can you succeed with any business venture if you are not artistic and creative? And now I’m pleased to note that ,decades later the same opinion is voiced by Steve Blank of Stanford University.
Do you agree that entrepreneurs are artists? Is entrepreneurship like having a white canvas in front of you and producing a masterpiece? Do you have to be completely passionate about what you are doing in order to succeed as an entrepreneur? Do you believe a start-up is a calling? Do you wake up in the middle of the night and have ideas for your company? Is it the first thing you think about in the morning? Do you forget everything else when you work on your start-up? Or do you believe someone who handles entrepreneurial activity like a 9-4 job can succeed?
Video: Stanfordbusiness – You Tube
About Catarina AlexonNär Europa och USA brottas med ekonomiska problem kanske det är dags att fundera på nya marknader? Eller en omprioritering?
Har ett stort nätverk världen över och är skicklig på att utveckla och genomföra marknads och kommunikationsstrategier för olika typer av organisationer, målgrupper, länder och syften.
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Tags: art school, calling, creativity, entrepreneurship, passion, Stanford University, Steve Blank
January 6th, 2013 at 16:30
I love this! It is so true. Where does your passion lie? If you are doing something you are passionate about, it is not a 'job'. I also think he is absolutely spot on with the analogy. You are taking something you love and making something with it. It doesn't matter if it's a painting or a novel. You have to have the passion or it won't last. I actually do have ideas that come to me at inopportune times so I write them down for later. LOL
January 6th, 2013 at 17:01
Glad you agree Cheryl.
If it's not a calling and you wake up in the middle of the night and have ideas you will fail. And isn't handling problems a matter of being artistic:-)
January 6th, 2013 at 17:16
I very much agree that being an entrepreneur requires an incredible amount of vision and creativity, and that is akin to artistic vision. Being an entrepreneur in the artistic world (as a writer and author) makes it even more so for me.
I can really relate to what Steve says in the video. I have been researching and writing a series of books about chocolate for more than 3 years. The world of chocolate has completely overtaken my very being. Granted … it's a very tasting and enticing world to be in, but it requires a lot of insight and dedication, focus, perseverance … and some good weight management skills as well!
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January 6th, 2013 at 18:02
Glad we agree Doreen. Good luck with your artistic endevour of a series of books on chocolate!!
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January 6th, 2013 at 18:27
Catarina — totally agree with Steve Blank. To succeed as an entrepreneur you have to be driven. Everything else is secondary — family, friends, making money. Successful entrepreneurs do make money but it's not the end goal. The end goal is fulfilling your passion. It consumes you. Many years ago my college English professor said something I never forgot. He said writers essentially lead a single life, even if they're married. He meant the same thing as Steve Blank. You live for your work to the exclusion of everything else. Like many others, I'm an accidental entrepreneur. It's not something I craved from an early age. I'm content with my progress but I will never be the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.
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January 6th, 2013 at 19:41
I really like this post. I think entrepreneurship has a lot to do with drive and passion. I know one day I either want to own my own firm or create something new in the health/fitness field.
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January 7th, 2013 at 04:39
I have done many "jobs" in the past where I have been mediocre or failed. It is not because I didn't have the intellect more so that there was no passion there and I just didn't care!
I agree that you need to have that calling and drive to make something work. I see it all around me with my friends. To be an entrepreneur passion is a must and I do believe an artistic endeavour
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January 7th, 2013 at 05:16
Entrepreneurs are indeed artists, but perhaps not in the conventional sense society would use to define that category. On the flip side, I would say more artists need to learn how to deal with the business side of matters. There's no reason why such a dichotomy needs to exist between the two, and yet it does.
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January 7th, 2013 at 10:12
I totally agree. If you are not eating, sleeping, breathing it, it's not going to get you anywhere. Most of all you have to love it, and despite the aspect of angst that plagues every artist, the love of the work is always there. At least the love of the process. The drive to improve, create and develop is essential. Great correlation Catarina. Thanks for the post.
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January 7th, 2013 at 11:55
Well put, Jeannette.
January 7th, 2013 at 11:56
Glad you agree Lynette.
January 7th, 2013 at 11:57
True Becc. If we don't care we fail.
January 7th, 2013 at 11:58
Glad we agree Jeri. Entrepreneurs need to sell and promote what they do. But an accountant can take care of that side.:-)
January 7th, 2013 at 11:59
Beautiful way of expressing it AK. Glad we agree.
January 7th, 2013 at 13:16
Excellent video. From an emotional intelligence perspective, Blank is spot on that we cannot just think about entrepreneurship logically, we must also "feel" it intensely. And… from a brain perspective, artists are known to be very right brained which is the creative side. The left brain is the logical side. So again, we see the need for balance. It's true that business leaders must be both.
I think it is very touching that you remember your father so fondly, so respectfully.
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January 7th, 2013 at 13:58
Glad we agree Keyuri. Good points you make.
January 7th, 2013 at 15:30
Interesting analogy, Catarina. I've not thought of entrepreneurs as artists before, but it does make sense in many ways – creativity, a new way of looking at things, great communication skills and, above all, passion are key factors if one is to be successful…
January 7th, 2013 at 15:59
That is an interesting analogy, Catarina and it's a great way to help put entrepreneurship in perspective. I believe that to be successful, an entrepreneur must quickly realize that they will never work as hard for someone else as they will for themselves. It's that unbridled passion that Steve Blank talks about that's the driving factor behind it.
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January 7th, 2013 at 17:23
Yes it makes sense Guy, doesn't it?
January 7th, 2013 at 17:25
Love what you wrote Sherryl,I quote you "an entrepreneur must quickly realize that they will never work as hard for someone else as they will for themselves". If they don't they will be struggling artists….
January 7th, 2013 at 18:44
I agree that in some ways entrepreneurs need to think creatively like artists, but they also need to be business savvy and know the inter workings of the business industry if they wish to be successful. I think entrepreneurship majors at universities need to be in the business school so that they are able to understand how business works and are aware of the risks they will be taking by owning a business of their own.
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January 8th, 2013 at 01:43
I would not say artists per se but for sure it requires a special set of skills that not many have them. That's why everybody wants to be their own boss but you can clearly see that not many succeed.
January 8th, 2013 at 01:54
Like the video Catarina and one thing about artists is at some stage to produce their masterpiece they have to let go of fear of failure. Entrepreneurs have to do the same if they want to succeed and like artists rarely does success come with a one off piece.
January 8th, 2013 at 03:57
I love the comparison. It makes so much sense to me. Being an artist really is all about vision and passion. Entrepreneurs are just artist in business. Once you have a vision you're driven to create something from it that represents what you see. Nothing can compare to the feeling of working on that vision. You are truly in a zone.
))
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January 8th, 2013 at 11:45
Radu that's because there is a huge difference between having an entrepreneurial mind and carrying out entrepreneurial activity. You need an entrepreneurial mind to succeed.
January 8th, 2013 at 11:45
Exactly Susan. That's why so many people fail.
January 8th, 2013 at 11:46
Well described Susan.
January 8th, 2013 at 16:10
Thought provoking for sure. I've often thought about being entrepreneurial as being creative although not in the artist sense. I'm not a 3am wake up person but I do have ideas come to me all the time. And knowing I'm more introverted and that is where they just might STAY is why coaches and masterminds are important for me to either have or belong to.
I'm on a similar track that Jeannette expressed: second best as an entrepreneur will work beautifully for me because I am not interested in being a Steve Jobs. Just a Patricia Weber. The best me I can be with sharing my passion through my message and work.
Thanks Catarina!
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January 8th, 2013 at 16:13
Pat there are super talented artists that are introvert. What this is about is that you are completely consumed by the passion you have for your company. Maybe I got it wrong, but I had the impression you were.
January 8th, 2013 at 18:19
Kelly, have you ever thought about the fact that there is a huge difference between having an entrepreneurial mind and carrying out entrepreneurial activity? The latter anyone can do.
Steve Blank is talking about people with entrepreneurial minds. People with entrepreneurial minds, such as Richard Branson, are the success stories you read about. It's much easier to hire accountants and other types of staff to take care of the business aspect than to develop an entrepreneurial mind. Most people considering themselves to be entrepreneurs are merely carrying out entrepreneurial activity. And they are the ones that are most likely to fail:-)
January 9th, 2013 at 14:08
I can relate to what Steve says in the video. I'm not sure about using the word "artistic" for entrepreneurs. It seems more like the creative drive that motivates an artist is similar to the creative drive that an entrepreneur needs to succeed. But if the terminology fit for your father and now for you, there must be a good reason.
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January 9th, 2013 at 14:52
This is an interesting post. There is certainly a connection between entrepreneurship and being creative. Good entrepreneurs do tend to be creative and think creatively. And there is certainly a link between creativity and innovation. However, being creative and being an artist are two different things, albeit a person can be both. Being creative does not necessarly make you a good artist and vice versa. And being an entrepreneur does not necessarily make you creative. That said, I believe that very few people are truly right and left brain people. They tend to be one or the other. I know because I am both. I have an MBA and have worked in Global Business Development around the world for many years and have started a few companies as an entrepreneur and I am also an artist (oil and pastel).
Do I think that this duality gives me an advantage in the business world? I would like to think so but sometimes not. Most definitely it is not perceived well in the corporate world. While I have always tried to convince Management that it is an asset, they do not see it as such. I think because they simply do not understand or can relate. So, unfortunately, it has been a detriment to me, even in such creative fields as advertising. You can not be both the Art Director and the Account Executive. That said, I do believe it is an asset when you start your own business because it gives you an additional perspective and ability to succeed as well as sheer, unbridled passion.
This passion, which many times is not logical, is what pushes people to succeed. I remember one time I was working in my studio working on a piece that intrigued and challenged me. I was so obsessed to find a solution to my creative challenge that I stayed up for 48 hours without sleeping or eating and I did not even realize it. This is the same energy, dedication and passion that an entrepreneur needs. I recommend a related book on this subject titled "Every Leader Is An Artist" by Michael O'Malley, PhD and William F. Baker, PhD.
Lastly, I would like to mention my thoughts about the overused word on innovation which does have a direct correlation with creativity. Corporate America continues to chant about innovation and how important it is to their bottom line. But innovation implies several things: additional investment, risk, and time…things that Management does not like to hear and certainly Wall Street nor shareholders do not like for public companies. They do not like or understand vagueness, uncertainty, emotions, anxiety and all of the other "feelings" that come with the creative process, which ultimately lead to innovation and breakthroughs. Oddly, through my experience, foreign companies (European, Asian and even Latin) understand this process better and look at it long term, not as a quarterly number goal to be achieved.
If financing were more readily available in the U.S., there would be more innovative and creative startups. This is where entrepreneurship and creativity work best…small business.
January 9th, 2013 at 16:10
Sorry to hear about your bad experiences Peter. Thank you for sharing.
January 9th, 2013 at 16:13
Leora, ever thought of the difference between having an entrepreneurial mind and carrying out entrepreneurial activity? The latter anyone can do and we should only call people with an entrepreneurial mind entrepreneurs, really. And it's people with entrepreneurial minds Steve is talking about. You start with a white canvas and develop it….
January 10th, 2013 at 19:09
Being an entrepreneur is definitely not a 9 to 5 job. In a start up – the promoter is the chief bottle washer and cook, right from being the innovator or inventor of the product or service, to being the salesperson, telephone receptionist and what have you. What drives this? Passion to be one's own boss and to succeed.
January 10th, 2013 at 19:27
Glad you agree Lubna.
January 11th, 2013 at 15:16
I think every entrepreneur has to be an artist if he wants to achieve a success in this world. In today's busy world reaching customers can be hard as well as finding a free spot in their schedule. You have to be first-rate actor , great psychologist and of course strike the happy medium.
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January 11th, 2013 at 16:36
Glad you agree Lana.