Two types of entrepreneurs

group-of-women-having-a-meeting-3810754.jpg

There are two types of entrepreneurs in this world - those that think of the ideas, and those that implement them.

Now, I'm not saying that these are mutually exclusive, I'm sure many founders have a scrambled mix of both skill sets, but when necessary, I've found most will naturally feel stronger at one or the other.

So which are you?

The Idea's Person

  • Most likely the one to have thought of 'the idea' (business/project/initiative/campaign) first

  • Big picture thinker - see's where the business will be in the next 5-10 years and beyond

  • Constantly coming up with new ideas on how to grow and scale the business

  • Works best when working 'on' the business rather than 'in' the business

  • Most comfortable roles: Marketing, Partnerships, Business Development, Finance, Product Design

The Doer

  • Question asker - asks a million questions about 'the idea' while their brain is designing strategies for implementation

  • Believes that 'done is better than perfect' - doesn't let the quest for perfection stop them from taking action, takes action and perfects it in play

  • Knows and appreciates the importance of details

  • Works best when working 'in' the business rather than 'on' the business

  • Most comfortable roles: Marketing, HR, Logistics, Operations, Sales, Customer Service, Product Development

I see both types of entrepreneurs as equally crucial to a business and equally entrepreneurial.

I think that often entrepreneurs try to convince themselves (and others around them) that they are The Idea's Person (often associated with the CEO title), a founder with the next big business idea, when in fact their skill sets lie in operations.

Being The Idea's Person is sexy, it's often the role that gets all the hype and media attention. The role that's requested for interviews and is looked to for overall leadership. However the role of The Doer (often associated with COO title) is just as important, if not more so as none of the ideas would become reality without the leadership, initiative and attention to detail that comes with implementation.

It should come as no surprise that where I have seen the most success with entrepreneurs and small businesses is when the entrepreneurs stay true to their strengths and work together. I get excited when I see businesses being started by co-founders who excel in each of these two roles and own it!

So if you are an entrepreneur thinking of starting a business, ask yourself - where do my skill sets truly lie? And in which role can I be most valuable to the business?

This article was originally posted on LinkedIn. Click here to see original post.

Nicola Jones-Crossley