This program has forced me to analyze the definition of success many times.  Various people have told us that if your end goal is to make money, then entrepreneurship is not the career path to take.  Instead, the idea of making a change in the world seems to be the goal for many “successful” entrepreneurs.

Guest Blogger: Jessica is a junior at WashU

We currently have an assignment that requires us to meet with a Zell graduate, and to learn about their entrepreneurial experiences.  The business man who I chose to interview started a marketing company, and it has been open for around four years now.  It seems as if the company has gained a lot of traction, and they have formed partnerships with huge publishers like Fox Sports.  It seemed to me as if the company could be defined as successful, but when I asked him if his company is successful in his opinion, he responded no without hesitation.  He said that until an exit, IPO, or close had been reached, he wants to keep expanding the company. However, he said there are moments where he is extremely proud of his company, and a temporary milestone is reached. When his favorite basketball team, the Miami heat, started using his program, it was a redeeming feeling.  However, the billions of users of his survey service do not constitute a successful ending to Bitz, his company.

This answer reminded me a lot of the mindset of the start up that I worked for last summer.  It was a jewelry company that had products picked up by huge retailers such as Free People, ShopBop and Bloomingdales.  However, they still did not define their fashion line as a success.  I have learned that this mentality seems to be a trend amongst entrepreneurs, and perfectly depicts why money cannot be a driving force.

The ever-changing and dynamic of the start up world makes it addicting to these people, and they are emotionally invested in making their company as good as it can be.  No matter what the worth in capital is, a true entrepreneur is never truly satisfied with their product, and always wants to make improvements. If success is never reached in their minds, they are consistently working at their product, and are making the product as close to perfect as humanly possible.  The work ethic proves for the eventual success and prosperous futures of true entrepreneurs.