I recently read a great blog by Aaron Dinin questioning whether it is time for entrepreneurs to stop “thinking outside the box.” He gave a wonderful summary of the origin of that saying, but I was most struck by his opening where he described the most common answers he receives when he asks students in his entrepreneurship to describe an entrepreneur. The answers are predictable – someone who is creative, something who thinks differently, someone who thinks outside the box.
Dr. Dinin goes on to describe common traits in entrepreneurs. As I read the article, I agreed with much of what he said, but I sum it up this way.
Entrepreneurs are problem-solvers: Most entrepreneurs started their businesses to solve a problem, fill a gap or do something differently. That’s how I look at my business. I see what clients need and I try to fill that gap for them.
Entrepreneurs are optimizers: While entrepreneurs may be doing things differently, they aren’t always changing norms. They are optimizing things that may already be working. As Dr. Dinin says in his piece, “The best entrepreneurs try to figure out what’s working well for other people and then replicate those successes for themselves.” That is what led me to my entrepreneurial journey. I wasn’t looking to replicate the traditional agency model. That works well for certain organizations. I was looking to optimize the value of what they do for smaller companies that don’t have the budgets or in-house expertise to manage agencies.
Entrepreneurs are risk mitigators: Yes, entrepreneurs operate in risky environments, but that does not make them risk-takers. They look at every opportunity as a balance between risk and reward to ensure every action, investment and decision have the potential to drive success. Since they know more is at stake, they are more purposeful with each decision. For every recommendation or action I take for a client, I think about the potential downside of the action. I also think about maximizing it with greater amplification and activity, so that every investment of time and money has an ROI.
Working with entrepreneurs is a very different mindset from working with others. It’s not a matter of thinking inside or outside the box. It’s about understanding that it is a different box altogether. When you can think like an entrepreneur to understand the opportunities and limitations of the business, you can offer solutions that solve problems, optimize opportunities and mitigate risk.
What does it mean to think out of the box?