The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

January 12Your Own Crazy

Had the routine of our life at this place been known to the world, we should have been regarded as madmen—; although, perhaps, as madmen of a harmless nature.

Edgar Allan Poe—The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841)

Entrepreneurs possess their own special brand of crazy—and that's just fine!

Truly self-reliant entrepreneurs bear more resemblance to artists than the traditional businessperson. To make something out of nothing requires equal parts hallucination and determination.

It's no coincidence, then, that terms like “lean” and “canvas” abound in start-up literature. Artists, like entrepreneurs, struggle for many reasons, but often it is because they determine to stay true to their vision when it would seem so much easier to just get a job and collect pay.

Today, wear your badge of madness proudly (although do no harm).

Challenge Question

1. What's one time when you did not stay true to your vision (word) for fear of looking foolish?