I vividly remember the moment I feel in love with the idea of being an entrepreneur. It was shortly after moving to Silicon Valley, while watching Mark Zuckerberg and Jim Breyer on the Harvard to Facebook lecture by Stanford Technology Venture Program's Entrepreneurial Thought Leader Seminars. During that podcast, I realized that with an idea and the right vision anything is possible. It is this conviction to take a risk to follow your dreams that is at the core of entrepreneurship.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines entrepreneurship as "the of organization, management, and assumption the risks of a business or enterprise." Yet, this definition makes entrepreneurship seem like a set of actions instead of a mindset. In my opinion, entrepreneurship is not a prescribed set of actions. Following the beaten path does not make one entrepreneurial. Actually, it is the disregard of what is conventional that gives a person an innovative edge.
From an etymological point-of-view, the word entrepreneur is based on the Sanskrit word "Antha Prerna," which in translation means "self-motivated." Self-motivation is the hallmark of an entrepreneur. Self-motivation is the x-factor, separating those who have the entrepreneurial mindset from others who are trapped in the conventional way of thinking. Self-motivation is not an ability, but a desire to reach for something greater. Something much larger than oneself. The late Steve Jobs captures this with his famous comment toward an employee: "We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?"
With that simple phrase, Steve Jobs has encapsulated the idea of people in entrepreneur. Beyond making money and fame, Jobs desires to change the world. He is not motivated by the external factors that fuel most people, but instead by his own passion to make a difference in the world. The same is true for Facebook founder