3-Jan-2012 - Who is The Entrepreneur? (Part 4)

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"Most controversies would soon be ended, if those engaged in them would first accurately define their terms, and then adhere to their definitions."[1] So far we've defined entrepreneurial (as contrasted with entrepreneur the noun) as a set of characteristics—opportunistic, shows initiative, wants to have impact, gets things done. We contrasted it with administrative characteristics: focused on predictability and stability, control of resources and risk, process is important, results are secondary. You can be entrepreneurial anywhere. Defining with words works to a point. Beyond that point, well, sometimes you just have to see it. For example, meet Catalina Gorla. Catalina graduated from Dartmouth College in 2009 with a major in Art History, then moved to Columbus, Ohio, where today she's a financial market analyst in asset management at a large insurance company. Some people would have a hard time connecting asset management at a large kids nfl jerseys insurance company with entrepreneurial. Actually, starting life in a big, well-run company is not a bad foundation for an entrepreneurial life vocation. Big companies teach you about the discipline of process (yes there are some good things). They make you appreciate the importance of attention to detail. Hopefully they instill in you a profound dislike of politics and meetings. Most of all, they teach you how things really happen in big companies. This is important, because big companies are everywhere and if not all-powerful, pretty dominating. No matter buy NFL Jerseys what you end up doing, if you're not in a big company yourself, you're likely selling to them, buying from them, partnering with them, or competing with them. Sort of like government, you would never believe how things really get done in big companies if you didn't see it for yourself. Most entrepreneurial types don't stay too long: two to five years is about right. And most entrepreneurial types are irrepressible (and often little understood), even inside big companies. Which brings us back to Catalina Gorla, Art History major, financial analyst in a large insurance company. During her last winter at Dartmouth she audited a Tuck course on entrepreneurship. Gregg:  Catalina, the week before you graduated and went to Columbus, you came by my office and introduced yourself.  Why did you do that? Catalina:   The Tuck class totally changed my worldview and I just couldn’t leave campus without cheap nba jerseys getting to meet you, since I didn’t get a chance in a 200-person class. Gregg:  Auditing a half-semester business school class changed your worldview? Catalina:  Absolutely. I first met a true entrepreneur during a summer internship at an investment bank. These people seemed to me a breed of their own. I left hoping one day I’d at least get to work with some. But after the class I realized I could be one myself and that set me down a very different path. I wasn’t expecting more than a conversation, so I was pretty excited when you suggested I continue learning about entrepreneurship and meeting entrepreneurs by starting a Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network chapter in Ohio. Gregg:  Did you have any idea how to do that? Catalina:  None. Gregg:  Did that worry you?

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