Kevin Vogelsang

Today, Fred Wilson wrote  a post, “Nature vs Nurture and Entrepreneurship”, about the traits of an entrepreneur.

The following exchange occurred in the comments:

Kid Mercury:

IMHO the answer to who wins the beef between nature and nurture is always both. i’ve changed so much in my life (used to be a lazy person trying to find ways to work part-time and get by) but events in life have transformed me….

Aviah Laor:

“trying to work part time and get by” is an early symptom of an entrepreneur

I found this interesting.  I’d never heard anyone acknowledge that “just getting by” had any relationship to entrepreneurs, much less entrepreneurs being lazy.

After pondering the comment a little further, I realized it’s more about efficiency than just “getting by” or being lazy.  Kid Mercury’s instincts were forcing him into a certain behavior.  I think the attitude is better described by, “I’m not going to expend resources on this, because my time/energy is needed elsewhere.”Although, the individual probably isn’t conscious of this reasoning at the time.

Of course, my opinions are rooted in a model of humans being patterns, although these patterns are malleable.  Moreover, just as the animals do, humans have instincts.

Entrepreneurs are hunters.  They go out and and chase things.  They see how things work by using them.  They go at it until they make it happen.  They hate when things don’t work.  They want a high-stakes mission.

Thus, they have no patience for frivolous usage of resources that do not aid the hunt.  And that’s good.  Neither do startups.

-Kevin
2.19.2010