Are you a phase-1 or a phase-2 social entrepreneur?

As a follow-up from Helen Wang's uplifting post "Dare to be an entrepreneur?", I believe we do not figure out what it takes to be an entrepreneur and whether we like it unless we try ourselves. Let me share some beliefs from my experience.

I believe that in the entrepreneurial route we learn much about ourselves.  This leads us to realize which of the many roles fits better our personal making.  Ours is not necessarily the role of the CEO, for example. I believe that part of the skill set for a founder involves having this type of honest realizations and in this particular case, let the ones with the making to perform the job. Then not only self-honesty but team building becomes critical.  Not an easy job.

I heard once to Jacqueline Novogratz from the Acumen Fund talk about the phase-1 entrepreneurs and phase-2 entrepreneurs at one of the Stanford Breakfast Briefings last Spring. Phase-1 being those visionaries that materialize the idea from concept to prove, an initial roll-out of the enterprise. And then phase-2 entrepreneurs those that are able to scale it. This is consistent with my knowledge of the evolution of technical systems. Every phase in the S-curve of a system requires a different and particular cast. My experience in start-ups confirm that. I saw a brilliant and visionary CEO being taken out by the BOD because year after year he was not able to take the company from phase 1 to phase 2. I lived the agony of VP after VP of sales trying to find the sweet sales model with no success. The company found its phase-2 CEO and the right model eventually. The last time I knew of them, they were doing great and in black. This does not undervalue the founder. The founder fulfilled a critical and exciting role as well. As I also believe the guy that came in for phase 2 would not have make it to engage the passionate and fun team we built during phase 1. I also assume that a few could perform both roles. But in general, I believe a successful entrepreneur should understand him or herself and recognize which role he or she should play in every phase of the enterprise for this one to be successful.

I currently perceive myself stronger as a phase-1 entrepreneur. I love inventing and making connections between the opportunities of new technologies and the demands and possibilities of the communities I care about. I love to be engaged with users and customers one on one and transfer my excitement and vision. I do not see myself much as a phase-2 entrepreneur replicating and scaling an organization and detaching myself from that vision-building and exploratory phase and the very human interface between the organization and the end beneficiaries. I enjoy the dynamics of small, creative organizations bringing a new solution to market. But that joy should not hold the company from its potential to reach far and wide. Phase-2 is also important for the enterprise and its scope and impact. And It will be part of my challenge to recognize when is the time for me to delegate the job into a more capable phase-2 entrepreneur when the time comes. I will love seeing my enterprises going through that phase successfully, even if executed by another team member. Whatever role I decide to play, it shall be the one where I have fun and can see my team thriving to bring a better future to the organization and all its stakeholders.

What is your making?

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