This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video. • Hacker News Board

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#11

Post by davidbnewquist » Thu, May 14, 2009, 8:29 PM UTC

chops wrote: post #9

rabidsnail wrote: post #6

This is the ideology that has been slowly and quietly ruining America and the world. Innovation has nothing to do with entrepreneurs. Innovation happens when craftsmen, not businessmen, find better ways of practicing their craft. The people that built/are building the technologies that are radically improving the lives of the public do so out of a drive to build. We don't need more Carnegies, and we _certainly_ don't…

There's nothing ruinous about holding the entrepreneurial spirit on a pedestal. It's the entrepreneurial spirit that drives innovation, whether it's inside the R&D department of a massive corporation (one can still be entrepreneurial while an employee - it was entrepreneurial ism that brought us Gmail), or someone's basement, or a few friends in a loft on the east side of Milwaukee. That said, one cannot completely d…

You're absolutely right, but I think rabidsnail was trying to say there's currently a glut of business and marketing types.

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#12

Post by quizbiz » Thu, May 14, 2009, 8:44 PM UTC

jimboyoungblood wrote: post #5

did anyone look at the company that produced this video? http://grasshopper.com/ http://blog.entrepreneur.com/2009/05/video-entrepreneurs-can... they're trying to sell stuff to entrepreneurs (who've never heard of grand central / google voice). Obviously this video is a cynical viral marketing ploy... lame.

Aa marketing ploy with an underlying purpose of selling stuff isn't necessarily lame. The video is good and does not mention them. This is a fair mention and I love the idealism that it promotes.

There is no shame in the fact that great causes are sponsored.

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#13

Post by anand » Thu, May 14, 2009, 9:27 PM UTC

Grasshopper is a pretty cool service, had some clunky UI though. We use it at BumpTop.com.

They mailed us some chocolate covered grasshoppers recently as a mktg campaign, kinda crazy.

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#14

Post by anand » Thu, May 14, 2009, 9:29 PM UTC

jimboyoungblood wrote: post #5

did anyone look at the company that produced this video? http://grasshopper.com/ http://blog.entrepreneur.com/2009/05/video-entrepreneurs-can... they're trying to sell stuff to entrepreneurs (who've never heard of grand central / google voice). Obviously this video is a cynical viral marketing ploy... lame.

I'm a user and their service is different from Google Voice. It's a professional sounding 1-800/voicemail system intended for business, not personal use. "Push 1 for customer service, Push 2 for sales" type of thing.

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#15

Post by brandnewlow » Thu, May 14, 2009, 9:31 PM UTC

davidbnewquist wrote: post #11

chops wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's nothing ruinous about holding the entrepreneurial spirit on a pedestal. It's the entrepreneurial spirit that drives innovation, whether it's inside the R&D department of a massive corporation (one can still be entrepreneurial while an employee - it was entrepreneurial ism that brought us Gmail), or someone's basement, or a few friends in a loft on the east side of Milwaukee. That said, one cannot completely d…

You're absolutely right, but I think rabidsnail was trying to say there's currently a glut of business and marketing types.

Isn't that always the problem? Too many managers, not enough creators?

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#16

Post by hpvic03 » Thu, May 14, 2009, 9:34 PM UTC

chops wrote: post #9

rabidsnail wrote: post #6

This is the ideology that has been slowly and quietly ruining America and the world. Innovation has nothing to do with entrepreneurs. Innovation happens when craftsmen, not businessmen, find better ways of practicing their craft. The people that built/are building the technologies that are radically improving the lives of the public do so out of a drive to build. We don't need more Carnegies, and we _certainly_ don't…

There's nothing ruinous about holding the entrepreneurial spirit on a pedestal. It's the entrepreneurial spirit that drives innovation, whether it's inside the R&D department of a massive corporation (one can still be entrepreneurial while an employee - it was entrepreneurial ism that brought us Gmail), or someone's basement, or a few friends in a loft on the east side of Milwaukee. That said, one cannot completely d…

Agreed. I think that saying that people mistaking entrepreneurship for innovation is an "ideology that has been slowly and quietly ruining America and the world" is a bit of a dramatic overstatement.

Entrepreneurship is directly related to innovation. Innovation does not have to mean inventing the light bulb. It can also mean coming up with new ways to do things (e.g. Southwest Airlines). Entrepreneurship is an integral part of what makes capitalism work.

Additionally, just because you're a craftsman doesn't mean you can never be a businessman also. Any individual craftsman that wants to make any money from their creations will have to at some point become involved in business. Even if you're just selling your new technology to a big corporation and not starting your own company, you're still having to make a sale (which I'm pretty sure would go under the business category).

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#17

Post by defen » Thu, May 14, 2009, 10:10 PM UTC

rabidsnail wrote: post #6

This is the ideology that has been slowly and quietly ruining America and the world. Innovation has nothing to do with entrepreneurs. Innovation happens when craftsmen, not businessmen, find better ways of practicing their craft. The people that built/are building the technologies that are radically improving the lives of the public do so out of a drive to build. We don't need more Carnegies, and we _certainly_ don't…

Are you talking about Dale Carnegie or Andrew Carnegie?

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#18

Post by _pius » Thu, May 14, 2009, 10:11 PM UTC

rabidsnail wrote: post #6

This is the ideology that has been slowly and quietly ruining America and the world. Innovation has nothing to do with entrepreneurs. Innovation happens when craftsmen, not businessmen, find better ways of practicing their craft. The people that built/are building the technologies that are radically improving the lives of the public do so out of a drive to build. We don't need more Carnegies, and we _certainly_ don't…

Innovation has nothing to do with entrepreneurs. Innovation happens when craftsmen, not businessmen, find better ways of practicing their craft.

That's categorically false, unless you have very narrow definitions of entrepreneur and craftsman. It seems like in practice, the line gets pretty blurry. Aren't all entrepreneurs craftsmen in some regard (if not with respect to their product, then to customer experience, process, or something else)?

For instance, Honoré le Blanc, Eli Whitney, et al pioneered the concept of interchangeable parts for business purposes. Were these guys businessmen or craftsmen? On the one hand, they eliminated a lot of the art of gunmaking, but on the other hand, they made more reliable guns.

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#19

Post by jdileo » Thu, May 14, 2009, 10:16 PM UTC

tdavis wrote: post #4

You know, it has yet to occur to me that I might not be able to do whatever I want. I'm not even sure what that would feel like.

Amen, tdavis!

Also, it is my hope that all those who have commented on "craftsman v. entrepreneur" and the glut of "business types" have personally built companies and met the challenges of payroll & bringing a product to market.....but I really doubt thats the case.

Re: This is why we are entrepreneurs. An awesome video.

#20

Post by mojuba » Thu, May 14, 2009, 10:34 PM UTC

davidbnewquist wrote: post #10

rabidsnail wrote: post #6

This is the ideology that has been slowly and quietly ruining America and the world. Innovation has nothing to do with entrepreneurs. Innovation happens when craftsmen, not businessmen, find better ways of practicing their craft. The people that built/are building the technologies that are radically improving the lives of the public do so out of a drive to build. We don't need more Carnegies, and we _certainly_ don't…

Amen! Unfortunately, it seems popular "Western" culture is inspiring lots more Carnegies and Barnums than Franklins. But how can a shift in culture be brought about?

A shift is impossible so long as the Western culture doesn't care how exactly you make money, that is, whether it's out of thin air or out of the thick urge to create wealth. Luckily, the laws of free markets are on our side and the present crisis seems to be trying to fix just that. I understand this view may be too simplistic, but it's probably the best explanation of what's happening in the world now. And what's happening is potentially a slight positive shift in culture.