You can’t learn to be an entrepreneur in a classroom.

At least, I don’t think you can.

I’ve thought about this for years, from the very first time I joined a startup and flailed madly trying to get a lay of the land that was never going to materialize. That company went from zero to acquisition in three years, and it was the most uncomfortable ride in the world until I figured out I’d just have to make it up as I went along.

Which, I now realize, ten startups and five solid exits later, is also not the answer.

But seriously, you can’t learn to be an entrepreneur in a classroom.

I guess you can learn some of the nuts and bolts — the legal stuff, the financial stuff, maybe some code — but that’s left brain stuff, and I believe the vast majority of learned entrepreneurism is right brain stuff.

Can you imagine a class on leadership? I mean, I know they’re out there but how do they keep everyone from stabbing themselves in the eyeballs. How about motivation and persistence? Is that just a 90-minute slideshow of inspirational quotes on idyllic backgrounds set to Kenny G?

And something tells me that the decision to enroll in a decision-making class probably seals your failing grade.

  • More from Joe Procopio: Building entrepreneurs, not startups

I’ve been learning entrepreneurism for 20+ years, all of it by doing. And I don’t recommend that path. It sucks. It’s full of costly trial-and-error, painful mistakes, humbling failure, crippling stress, and general peerlessness.

Actually wait, I do recommend that path, to a certain extent. You have to go through all that to truly call yourself an entrepreneur. You just shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel. Like everything I look at, I see the entrepreneurial journey and I want to streamline, reduce friction, and add more intelligence.

I believe you can apply those concepts to teaching entrepreneurism. But first you have to identify the right student.

Not everyone can learn to be an entrepreneur, but everyone should have a shot at it. One of the mistakes the general startup ecosystem makes is aiming its focus at a prototypical, even stereotypical, potential entrepreneur. Young, safety-netted, Type A, college graduate, nothing to lose. This is aiming way too narrow.

Want more? Read the full post at joeprocopio.com:

http://joeprocopio.com/can-anyone-learn-to-be-an-entrepreneur.asp

(C) Joe Procopio