The Agile Startup: Quick and Dirty Lessons Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Your Three Hats

It’s easy to get frustrated working for someone else. You probably do the work better than your employer, which begs the question—why not go out on your own? As tempting as this may be, know what you’re getting into before you jump ship. Regardless of the industry, there are three distinct hats that every business owner must wear: technician, manager, and entrepreneur. The technician is the person who does the work of the business. In an architecture firm, for example, the technician is the person who creates the blueprints. The second two hats are usually overlooked by aspiring businessowners. The manager runs the business on a day-to-day basis. This is mostly mind-numbing busywork that everyone hates to do. The third hat is the entrepreneur who innovates and drives sales.

You have to wear all three hats when you run your own business. Ironically, there’s often so much work for the manager and entrepreneur that the technical work that you love to do gets pushed aside. Before you take the plunge, realize what’s required to build the business. When push comes to shove, you might be happier as a technician.

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