There is a new player emerging on the cultural and business scene today: the idea entrepreneur. Perhaps you are one yourself — or would like to be. The idea entrepreneur is an individual, usually a content expert and often a maverick, whose main goal is to influence how other people think and behave in relation to their cherished topic. These people don't seek power over others and they're not motivated by the prospect of achieving great wealth. Their goal is to make a difference, to change the world in some way.
Idea entrepreneurs are popping up everywhere.Research into this phenomenon has produced interesting results at how many different kinds of people aspire to be idea entrepreneurs. From librarians, salespeople, educators, thirteen-year-old kids, marketers, technologists to consultants, business leaders, social entrepreneurs — all over Kenya — who have an idea, want to go public with it, and, in some cases, build a sustainable enterprise around it.
The ones who succeed — whether it's disrupting an established way of doing business as or bringing a mindset change to a small community — share the following methods:
They play many roles. They are manager, teacher, motivator, entertainer, coach, thought leader, and guru all rolled into one.
They create a platform of expressions and generate revenue to support their social activities. Idea entrepreneurs have to be exceptionally good at expressing their idea, and usually do so in many forms. They give private talks and major speeches, write books and blogs and articles, participate in panels and events, engage in social media — activities that can generate revenue (sometimes in considerable amounts), through a combination of fees, sales of their expressions, and related merchandise.
They offer a practical way to understand and implement their idea. Because people have a hard time responding to an abstract idea, the idea entrepreneur develops practices (and personally models them, too) that lead people to the idea through action.
They draw other people into their idea. The idea entrepreneur gathers people into the development, expression, and application of their idea. They form affiliations, build networks, and form groups.This inclusion of many people in many ways creates a phenomenon sometimes called respiration— it's as if the idea starts to breathe, and takes on a life of its own.
They drive the quest for change. It is all too common that people with an idea for an improvement or a change to the world are satisfied to point out a problem, propose a solution, and then expect others to execute. The idea entrepreneur, however, sees the expression of the idea as the beginning of the effort — and it can be a lifelong one — in which they will continue to build the idea, reach new audiences, and offer practices that lead to change.
People who have shaped our thinking and our society over the decades, even centuries, and continue to do so today — have all followed the path of the idea entrepreneur.
These days, the model is well-defined and, thanks to the amazing range of activities we have for creating and sharing ideas, is within reach for just about anyone. If you have an idea, and want to go public with it, idea entrepreneurship can be one of the most powerful forces for change and improvement in the world today.
Creating Economic Possibilities
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