DELUSIONAL

A few days ago Nesrin and I visited Madrid and met up with a dear friend of mine from my early entrepreneurial days.  He asked me what my plans were for Madrid and after explaining our new venture he laughed and said, “you are delusional as always”….

His comment stayed in my mind! Am I delusional?

The dictionary defines delusional as having false or unrealistic beliefs or opinions.  Do entrepreneurs have unrealistic beliefs?  I say yes, but they are passionate about their beliefs.

What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is somebody who has a passion and takes action to gain financial freedom by executing his belief!

The dictionary defines entrepreneur as a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.

Becoming an entrepreneur is not just starting a business to gain financial benefits but it is about taking large financial risks to make a difference. Every time I decided on a concept and a business, most everyone called me crazy and commented it will never work. They list why so many businesses fail and what makes my idea so special that it will succeed when the percentages are against me. Stability is always emphasized and encouraged and anything else should be done on the side but always maintain stability.

The New York Times wrote an article about Dr. John D Gartner’s book “The Hypomanic Edge.” Dr. Gartner states that skill and knowledge are important but having the right attitude or psychology is, if not more important.  It describes the psychological profile for entrepreneurs having disorders or none:

The following is an excerpt from the article…

Successful entrepreneurs are not just braggarts. They are highly creative people who quickly generate a tremendous number of ideas - some clever, others ridiculous. Their "flight of ideas," jumping from topic to topic in a rapid energized way, is a sign of hypomania….

I interviewed a small sample of ten Internet CEOs I asked them if they agreed that these traits are typical of an entrepreneur:

He is filled with energy.
He is flooded with ideas.
He is driven, restless, and unable to keep still.
He channels his energy into the achievement of wildly grand ambitions.
He often works on little sleep.
He feels brilliant, special, chosen, perhaps even destined to change the world.
He can be euphoric.
He becomes easily irritated by minor obstacles.
He is a risk taker.
He overspends in both his business and personal life.
He acts out sexually.
He sometimes acts impulsively, with poor judgment, in ways that can have painful consequences.
He is fast-talking.
He is witty and gregarious.
His confidence can make him charismatic and persuasive.
He is also prone to making enemies and feels he is persecuted by those who do not accept his vision and mission.

… I feared they might find the questions insulting. I needn't have worried. All of the entrepreneurs agreed that the overall description was accurate, and they endorsed all the hypomanic traits, with the exceptions of "paranoia" and "sexual acting out" (these traits in particular are viewed as very negative and thus may be more difficult to admit to). Most expressed their agreement with excitement: "Wow, that's right on target!"

When you look at successful entrepreneurs they all have these qualities. When you lack the above, how can one have the determination to succeed? I definitely fit into this psychological profile, and yes I want to change the world with my grand ideas day-by-day, year-by-year! Does this make us crazy or passionate?  I believe we are both!

My dear friends’ comment, “you are delusional” was a great complement, as I know that my insanity and passion are a gift!