Stop giving wantrepreneurs a bad wrap
They have the same desires and ambitions as entrepreneurs but just need a little help
Why do wantrepreneurs get a bad wrap? Arguably it is because all over LinkedIn, Bob and Bob’s uncle are calling themselves an ‘entrepreneur’, a ‘CEO’, you name it. And this irks entrepreneurs, because being one doesn’t mean logging into your LinkedIn and writing a snazzy headline on your bio. It means blood, sweat and tears. Fighting for investment. Making real sacrifices. Choosing a truly hard and grueling road.
Don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is a lot of BS in circulation.
Yet there is a fine line between criticizing those who, according to opinion and subjectivity, do not deserve the label ‘entrepreneur’, and encouraging those who ultimately do have the same hopes and dreams as “real entrepreneurs” do, but need to find guidance, ways to believe in themselves, to try and fail, and to continually pursue a dream.
So let’s break it down. Every “real entrepreneur” ALSO started out as a wantrepreneur. Wantrepreneurship is a phase, a discovery and a filter. You either persevere and manage to start a business, or you fail. And even when you do start a business, there is a high chance of failure. But just because a businessman or woman fails, doesn’t mean they lose out on the label. Failing is likely the thing that motivates them even more.
Dependent on how you handle that failure, whether you continue persisting, or you decide ‘hey, I tried, and maybe this is not as easy as I thought but I took a risk anyway’, there are different ways to set people apart. But even then, why do labels matter? In my opinion, anyone who knows how to build something from nothing has an entrepreneurial spirit, and don’t necessarily exist in the startup world, i.e. intrapreneurs, community leaders, change makers.
As a good friendtor of mine told me, if you start your own project, your own side gig, or initiative. OWN IT. It doesn’t matter what you call yourself. Do whatever pushes you, because at the end of the day, you are putting yourself out there and trying to fulfill an ambition. She taught me about confidence, and in some ways faking it till you make it.
So let’s stop hating on wantrepreneurs. We all deserve our own voices, our own hopes and dreams, and it is up to no one to tell you otherwise. Because don’t forget, all of us start from somewhere.
Challenge: next time you come across a ‘wantrepreneur’, listen to their story and try holding off on the judgment.
