In my class on entrepreneurship yesterday, a student asked whether entrepreneurship be taught or is it that entrepreneurs are born. This is the same question as can writing be taught, or can singing be taught, or can Tennis be taught. This is a big myth.
In every field there are some natural talents and characteristics required. And these things one inherits. But then there are so many routine things that one learns from other people’s experience. Ultimately what is education — one aspect of education is sharing experiences of people who converted their experiences to systematic knowledge. And in entrepreneurship one can learn so many things from others. It is clear that by going to school and taking classes a normal person can not become Einstein or Bill Gates, but most normal people can benefit a lot from classes on any topic related to their interests.
In any case, I enjoyed the question because I hear this ‘myth’ in every area — I have heard can one be taught ‘design’ or … (name your favorite interest).
Entrepreneurship can certainly be taught. There is some fact to naturally born Entrepreneurs but without the proper understanding, they do not go far. I myself have taught myself in the last 6 years about what an entrepreneur is and have gotten mentors. Im only 17 still but if i were to have not read one book (Rich Dad Poor Dad) I would probably be working 25 hours a day like my dad does.
IMO some basic and proper guidance is required for born talents as well.
If you do not have a proper direction you cannot succeed in long tern.
Ofcource Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Sumeet Mittal are a few exceptions.
Some people are just born entrepreneurs.
They got the drive to push things forward.
Others with motivation can get there too.
I believe it can be taught, but only to those that passionately seek it. There’s a certain fire that needs to be going in a person in order for them to succeed. I have no formal education as far as entrepreneurship goes, but I went out of my way to surround myself with like minded people. You can not have friends that are always questioning your every move or venture.
I think that the passion has to be for the goal to be an entrepreneur as well as for the learning. Those two passions will feed on each other. One’s goal feeds one’s drive to learn but at the same time, the passion to learn hightens the satisfaction one gets from the experience.