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What I Learned About Being an Entrepreneur


Hello friends, 👋

Today I want to share something I learned from an article in my online entrepreneurship class. The article is called “How Entrepreneurs Craft Strategies That Work” by Amar Bhide from Harvard Business Review. It helped me understand what it really means to be an entrepreneur  and I was surprised! 🤯

At first, I thought to be a successful entrepreneur, you must have a perfect plan, lots of money, and everything figured out. But this article showed me the opposite. Most great entrepreneurs actually start small, move fast, and learn along the way. They don’t wait for everything to be perfect. They take action, make mistakes, and improve step by step. This makes me feel excited and more confident because I realize I can start something too  even if I’m not fully ready.

Here are the most helpful lessons I learned:

  1. You don’t need a perfect business plan.
    Many successful people like Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Fred Smith (FedEx) didn’t have a full plan. They just had a good idea, took a chance, and worked hard.

  2. Take action and learn by doing.
    Don’t spend too much time researching or thinking. Sometimes opportunities disappear if you wait too long. It's better to try something small and see what works.

  3. Be ready to change your plan.
    Most businesses change direction (pivot) after they start. This is not failure—it’s smart. The world changes, and entrepreneurs need to adapt.

  4. Hustle is more important than big ideas.
    In some industries, working hard, selling well, and giving great service can make you succeed—even if your idea is not new.

One story I really liked was about Peter Zacharkiw, who started Bohdan Associates. He didn’t write a plan or study the market. He just bought a computer, sold it, and kept going. It started as a way to earn extra money, but it became a big business. He said, “We’re very reactive, not proactive.” That means he just followed where the opportunity took him. This made me think that it’s okay to start small and let your business grow naturally.

After reading this article, I feel more motivated and less afraid to start a business. Before, I thought I needed to study more and have a perfect plan. But now, I believe it’s more important to take the first step and learn by doing. This doesn’t mean no planning at all  it just means we can do small actions, adjust, and grow with time.

Entrepreneurship is not only for rich people or experts. It’s for people who are brave, creative, and willing to keep learning.

Thank you for reading my reflection. If you’re a student like me and thinking about starting a business one day, I hope this post gives you courage. Let’s start with what we have and grow as we go! 🌱

Feel free to leave a comment if you also learned something or have your own experience to share.

—

Posted by: Phea Vout
Student Blogger | Dreamer | Future Entrepreneur

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