Two Kinds of Entrepreneurial Desire
In a passage from the Upanishads, the sacred texts of Hinduism (900-600 BCE), the writer proposes this thought about desire:
"A man whose mind wanders among desires, and is longing for objects of desire, goes again to life and death according to his desires. But he who possesses the End of all longing, and whose self has found fulfillment, even in this life his desires will fade away."
In the world of entrepreneurs, desire is the common denominator -- and it is truly a powerful force. But what is not common among entrepreneurs is what is desired.
Perhaps there are two kinds of entrepreneurial desire: the desire to accomplish something entrepreneurial, and the desire to be an entrepreneur. The reason understanding the distinction matters is because while both may lead to success, the latter is more likely to provide fulfillment.
Here are some examples of what it might look like when you desire to do something entrepreneurial.
- You start a business because you're tired of taking orders from someone else.
- You're unemployed and decide to start a business as a way to make a living.
- You start a business with the primary goal of getting rich.
The desire to do something entrepreneurial is akin to longing to be a champion, standing in the victory circle with the trophy, and perhaps a large check. It's focusing on the finish line instead of the entire experience of the race.
Clearly there is nothing wrong with finding yourself in the winner's circle. All entrepreneurs want to be winners. But it's important to understand that all of the reasons for doing something entrepreneurial mentioned above are what the Upanishads would call longing for objects of desire. Desiring to do something entrepreneurial is a means to an end.
Those who desire to be an entrepreneur are a lot like Olympic athletes: always knowing that while crossing the finish line first and winning the gold medal is an extremely worthy goal, preparing for and running the race is also fulfilling. The Upanishad might say that one who desires to be an entrepreneur possesses the end of all longing and will likely find fulfillment.
Doing something entrepreneurial is not as risky as it might seem. If you fail you can always go back to being an employee.
But being an entrepreneur is not a means to an end, it's a way of life. Failures are merely setbacks, not the end of an entrepreneurial life. An entrepreneur desires to create, as much as, if not more than, to have what is created.
In Sanskrit, upanishad means knowledge by which ignorance is destroyed. It's not for me to say that desiring to be an entrepreneur is better than desiring to do something entrepreneurial. But before you begin your journey, make sure you're not ignorant of the reason for your entrepreneurial desire.
Write this on a rock... Desiring to do something entrepreneurial is a means to an end. Desiring to be an entrepreneur is a way of life.
Jim Blasingame
Small Business Expert and host of The Small Business Advocate Show
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