Do you consider yourself to be an entrepreneur?
It’s a question that seems straightforward, until you try to answer it honestly.

You might run a business, lead a team, or bring new ideas to life inside an organisation. You might be self-employed, or simply someone who gets things done. But does that make you an entrepreneur?

The answer depends on how you define the word. And that’s the problem: entrepreneur means different things to different people. To some, it’s anyone with a business card. To others, it’s a badge of boldness, creativity, and calculated risk. Many aspire to it. Few stop to question it.

So what really sets entrepreneurs apart?

The French Lens: Leadership and Purpose

“The French don’t have a word for entrepreneur.” — George W. Bush (via Westhead & Wright, 2013, p.3)

This tongue-in-cheek remark may not hold up linguistically (they absolutely do), but it does highlight a deeper truth: entrepreneurship defies a universal definition.

Living in France, I’ve come to appreciate how culturally embedded entrepreneurship is. The French define entrepreneur simply as a “chef d’entreprise”, a business leader or CEO. But their broader view recognises something more: someone who is not an employee, who doesn’t take direction, who creates opportunity, and takes on risk.

They view the entrepreneur not just as a profit-seeker, but as a force for economic and social activity—a person investing both materially and morally. In short, a builder of sustainable value, not just short-term income.

In practice, France encourages entrepreneurship through unique tax regimes and startup programs that allow people to trial new ideas with reduced risk.

Global Perspectives: Broad and Vague

Globally, the term entrepreneur often gets stretched beyond its meaning. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) defines it as:

“Any attempt at new business or venture creation… by an individual, a team, or an established business.” — GEM, 2021

It’s inclusive, but arguably too vague to be useful. It captures everyone from solo freelancers to innovation lab CEOs. But if anyone can be an entrepreneur, what’s the point of the term?

Donald Kuratko, a respected voice in the field, offers a more refined view:

“Entrepreneurship is more than the mere creation of business.” — Kuratko, 2007

It’s about originality. Ownership. Risk. It’s about putting something of yourself on the line to bring something new into the world.

Entrepreneurship, Redefined

Based on my experience leading a software company, and reflecting deeply during my MBA, here’s the definition I’ve come to adopt:

Entrepreneurship is the commercialisation of an innovative product or service by risking capital, career, and/or reputation. Its goal: to create new value for the individual, organisation, or society.

This definition insists on three components: innovation, risk, and value. Without all three, we may be looking at business ownership or management, but not entrepreneurship.

For example, someone selling pre-designed websites using a script and templates may be a skilled operator. But unless they’re innovating or improving something meaningfully, they’re not necessarily an entrepreneur. And that’s fine, but let’s not dilute the term.

Intent Matters More Than Job Title

The best entrepreneurs I’ve met don’t obsess over the label. They obsess over solving real problems. They look for inefficiencies, challenge assumptions, and see the future not as something to predict—but something to build.

They take risks when necessary. They’re more concerned with outcomes than optics.

That mindset, not just a business card or incorporation document, is what separates them from the crowd.

So I’ll ask again:

Do you consider yourself to be an entrepreneur?
Not in job title, but in mindset, behaviour, and willingness to risk?

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Coming Up Next

🧠 Post 2 – Innovation at the Core
Why innovation isn’t optional for entrepreneurs—and how it separates change-makers from managers.
👉 Coming Soon

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Also in this series

🧠 Post 1 – What Really Makes an Entrepreneur?
Redefining the word everyone uses—but few understand. This post explores how innovation, risk, and value creation define true entrepreneurship.
👉 This Article

🧠 Post 2 – Innovation at the Core
Why innovation isn’t optional for entrepreneurs; and how it separates change-makers from managers.
👉 Read the article here

🧠 Post 3 – Born or Made?
Debunking the myth of the “natural entrepreneur” and exploring the traits, experiences, and motivations that shape entrepreneurial success.
👉 Coming Soon

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📚 References – Part 1: What Really Makes an Entrepreneur?

• Bessant, J., & Tidd, J. (2019). Innovation and Entrepreneurship (3rd ed.). Wiley.
• BPI France. (2019). Qu’est-ce qu’un entrepreneur ? Retrieved from https://bpifrance-creation.fr
• GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor). (2021). Global Report 2020/21: Opportunity Amid Disruption.
• JDN (Journal du Net). (2019). Définition : Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.journaldunet.fr
• Kuratko, D. F. (2007). Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice (7th ed.). Thomson South-Western.
• Larousse. (2021). Entrepreneur – Définition du dictionnaire. Retrieved from https://www.larousse.fr
• Westhead, P., & Wright, M. (2013). Entrepreneurship: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press