ToddKenefsky

Silicon Florist led me to Fred Wilson’s post; Ten Questions About Entrepreneurs.

I was interviewed yesterday by a journalist who is doing a television-style series on entrepreneurs which will be broadcast on the web starting this summer. He asked me somewhere around thirty questions about entrepreneurs. I didn’t take notes but here are ten questions I remember and a short quick summary of my answer.

Just for kicks I took at quick stab at answering the same questions:

What is entrepreneurship? Bringing to bear the forces and resources necessary to create a business. These include initiative, energy, motivation, determination, capital, ideas, organization, risk, guile, cunning, providence, vision and many others.

Can entrepreneurship be taught/learned? There are skills that can be acquired, but ultimately entrepreneurship is more about execution than knowledge.

Is entrepreneurship limited to small companies? Of course not.

Are entrepreneurs “control freaks”? I don’t buy into the stereotypes, but many are. The name of the game is getting stuff done, without fail, no excuses, with your rear on the line. It’s no surprise that the entrepreneurs who get stuff done are the ones who make damn sure it does.

What do you look for in entrepreneurs? The ability to solve problems. Entrepreneurship is a series of problems to be solved- how to get customers, find good employees, secure funding etc.

Is there an ideal age for an entrepreneur? No. Youthful energy is good but so is experience.

Are there many women entrepreneurs? I haven’t seen the statistics, but in the local tech scene at least, the field is almost exclusively male.

Do entrepreneurs have balance in their lives? People who want balance usually do other things for a living. Like a job, for instance. Barista and yoga instructor are great jobs for balance.

What skills would you advise an entrepreneur to acquire? I think an entrepreneur should strive for a minimum level of skill in all the core business disciples. But the most important ones are product knowledge and customer acquisition. If you have a great product and people willing to pay for it, most other problems can be managed.

Are entrepreneurs happier than others? I think people who feel they have control of their own destiny are happier than those who don’t.