Your Problem is Your Business: The Case for the Accidental Entrepreneur

When you think about entrepreneurs, who springs to mind?

I’m guessing a fearless, larger-than-life, risk-taker like Steve Jobs, Oprah, Sir Richard Branson, or Elon Musk. The type of person for whom working for “the man” (or woman) was never an option.

While I’m fascinated by anyone who has the guts to strike out on their own, I have a special place in my heart for entrepreneurs who never imagined they’d have their own business. The kind of person who has no choice but to answer the call of a burning passion or crushing problem.

This entrepreneurial subset is small yet mighty. According to a study by The Recruit Venture Group, a third of business owners never planned on starting their own company. Despite all of the challenges from bootstrapping to early failures and steep learning curves, a mere 1% regretted their decision, and 90% of those surveyed said they were happier than when they were employed.

In these uncertain times, a day job isn’t necessarily something you can rely on. Further, if the pandemic has taught us nothing else, doing something that brings you joy is critical. Helping others in the process is the icing on the cake — and we need to pull together now more than ever.