Professional Module: Entrepreneurship

Playing catch up from last week:

Entrepreneurship

Now, this was an interesting lecture on the entrepreneurial mind-set. It delved into what the entrepreneur is. There were some good discussions and insight into the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Duncan Bannatyne, Richard Branson. We looked into how they all started out, what risks they took, what setbacks they went through in their business endeavours, and the factors that contributed to their success.

We also delved into the 10,000 hour syndrome, or the 10,000 hours of practice, where it is claimed that it takes such an amount of time - equating to 5 years - to achieve mastery in a chosen field.

I find the note in the link about "natural talent" curious, and it reminded me of a discussion I once had about "natural talent" vs. "rigorous practice", to which I believe both compliment each other. But then I wonder about the savants who display exceptional skill in something, to the point beyond normality, like playing a violin, solving a complex mathematical problem in minutes, or painting an exquisitely detailed picture. Granted, this is a neurological occurrence. But would it also be due to genuine interest? Would I, by now, be competent with coding, had I applied at least two hours a day to learning it? I doubt it, because I'm not *that* interested in doing so. And I've tried to. I just like the results they often yield, but I often dislike doing the footwork.

Anyway, the lecture also drew insight into Shed Simove - a performer, author and entrepreneurial mega-troll. He made the iNotePad - an actual notepad that resembled the iPad, which pissed off Apple. He also launched a book called 50 Shades of Grey - a book that literally contained fifty various shades of grey, which also annoyed the publisher of E.L James' best-selling book that it was named after. Unconventional he may be, but successful in his own unique way, nonetheless.

The lecture also covered contact with the Hive - NTU's enterprise engine for entrepreneurship, which would prove very useful if I ever come up with a business idea of my own. In terms of my own art practice, however, I'm not sure how they might help.

Ultimately, this lecture boiled down to the defined features of an entrepreneur, they are, as this lecture goes:

• Self-Motivated
• Ridden with high needs for achievement
• Assertive
• Willing to take calculated risks
• Independent and innovative
• Often "misfits" in their society

An entrepreneur is largely defined as "someone who takes risks to create a new process."