1.1 What Is an Entrepreneur?
📘 Lesson 1.1 – What Is an Entrepreneur?
“Entrepreneur is just a fancy word for someone who sees a gap and decides to fill it.”
This is what entrepreneurship looks like: planning, ideas, curiosity — not perfection.
🟢 Welcome to Your First Step
You're here because something inside you is curious. Maybe you’ve had a business idea before. Maybe you’ve noticed something in the world that you wish existed — or something broken that you could fix. That spark of curiosity, action, and purpose? That’s the beginning of entrepreneurship.
But before we dive into logos, business models, or profits, let’s go back to basics.
💬 What Is an Entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur is someone who turns ideas into action.
It sounds simple — and in many ways, it is. Entrepreneurs are not defined by their age, background, or bank account. They’re defined by one thing:
They create value by solving problems.
Think of it like this:
- A coffee shop owner sees that people in their neighborhood want a relaxing space to work — and builds it.
- A teenager starts a YouTube channel teaching guitar to beginners because their friends found it hard to get started.
- A student launches an app to track water usage in their community.
In each case, the entrepreneur noticed something — a need, a pain point, or an opportunity — and said: 👉 “I could do something about that.”
🔍 What Makes Someone an Entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur is more about how you think than what you sell.
Here are five traits that most successful entrepreneurs share:
1. 🔧 They Solve Problems
Entrepreneurs are problem-spotters. They see inefficiencies, annoyances, or gaps in the market — and create solutions. You don’t need to invent something brand new. You just need to do something better, simpler, or different.
2. 🎯 They Take Initiative
Entrepreneurs don’t wait for permission. They don’t say, “Someone should fix that.” They ask, “How could I fix that?”
3. 🧠 They Think Differently
Entrepreneurs question how things are done. They challenge assumptions and imagine what’s possible instead of settling for what exists.
4. 🎢 They Accept Risk and Uncertainty
Starting something new always carries risk — of failure, of rejection, of making mistakes. Entrepreneurs learn to take smart risks, calculate consequences, and embrace uncertainty as part of the journey.
5. 🪴 They Keep Learning
Entrepreneurs are learners, not “know-it-alls.” They stay curious, ask questions, and view setbacks as feedback — not failure.
🧠 Why Does Entrepreneurship Matter?
We live in a world where things are constantly changing: technology, jobs, the economy, even the environment.
Entrepreneurship is a superpower for the 21st century. Why?
- It encourages independence and initiative.
- It teaches you to adapt and problem-solve.
- It lets you create something meaningful — even if you’re starting small.
- It helps you understand how the world works — from money to marketing to decision-making.
You don’t need to be the next Elon Musk or Sara Blakely. You just need to start seeing opportunities where others see problems — and be brave enough to explore them.
🛠️ Entrepreneurs Come in All Shapes
Let’s break another myth:
Entrepreneurs are not just “business people.” They’re creators, artists, thinkers, and community builders.
Here are a few different types of entrepreneurs you might not think of:
- 📱 A teenager who builds an Instagram page selling custom phone cases
- 🎨 A student who commissions digital artwork for gamers
- 🍪 A young baker who sells cookies at school fundraisers
- 🧠 A tutor who launches their own homework-help channel
- ♻️ A student who starts a recycling service in their neighborhood
The common thread? They solve problems, create value, and act on ideas.
📖 Recommended Reading
Book: The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
📍 Focus: Chapter 1 – “Renaissance”
This chapter shares how ordinary people turned skills, hobbies, or observations into real businesses — with little or no funding.
✍️ Activity: Start Thinking Like an Entrepreneur
Write down 3 things that frustrate you in daily life.
It could be something at school, online, at home, in your city, or on social media. Think small.
Now ask yourself:
🔍 Is there a product, service, or tool that could fix this?
💡 What would you create to make it better?
Don't worry about feasibility or business plans yet. Just start noticing the world around you — and seeing it through entrepreneurial eyes.
📌 Key Takeaways
- An entrepreneur is someone who turns ideas into action by creating value.
- You don’t need permission, money, or experience to start thinking like one.
- The entrepreneurial mindset is about curiosity, creativity, problem-solving, and courage.
- You can start developing this mindset right now — just by noticing problems and asking “What if I…?”
🔜 Up Next:
Lesson 1.2 – Epistemology: How Do We Know What Works in Business?
In the next lesson, we’ll explore a powerful but overlooked question:
How do we know what we know?
You’ll learn how critical thinking, research, and testing ideas form the foundation of smart entrepreneurship.