- Image by eschipul via Flickr
Is it better to be one or the other? I had this conversation with my friend, Rob May, today at work as we compared notes on two projects we’ve been working on for roughly the same amount of time. The talk got my wheels turning back to why it’s so hard for large organizations to innovate… I seem to be harping on that point a lot, huh?
What’s The Difference?
So what are the differences between the Entrepreneur and the Intrapreneur? Let’s look at them, shall we:
security When it’s all said and done, the Intrapreneur has a bit more job security than the Entrepreneur… generally speaking. Working for a large organization definitely has its perks, like paid vacation, some sort of healthcare, the company name backing up the project, and access to company resources. Your standard large organization benefits, if you will. Whereas Entrepreneurs don’t typically have access to the luxuries afforded to Intrapreneurs. Entrepreneurs may be more like lone wolfs, scrapping up business and striking up connections with every ounce of influence they can muster.
bureaucracy This is where the Entrepreneur definitely has an advantage over the Intrapreneur. From personal experience, the speed of business is generally a lot slower for large organizations than it is for smaller, nimble operations. The main group that an Entrepreneur has to answer to is the target market. Will people pay for the product, is the only question that really matters. On the other hand, the Intrapreneur has to answer the will people buy it question with an array of slides and a rolodex full of “approving officials” who hold the keys to the never-ending next phase gate. I would say that being forced to navigate through bureaucracy is the single most differentiating factor between the Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur.
drive Both the Entrepreneur and the Intrapreneur are driven individuals. The Entrepreneur is a connector, doing everything it takes to take the vision to the next level. There is nothing making an Entrepreneur push the vision, he or she believes in, into a reality… except their internal drive. With Intrapreneurs, it’s just far too easy to mail it in within the confines of a large organization. We’ve all seen Office Space. So the differentiation of an Intrapreneur from his or her peers is strikingly apparent as well. They’re the connectors within the organization who know how to get things done, when it’s said and done. Even if that does seem to take forever.
What Do You Think?
So which are you? An Entrepreneur or an Intrapreneur? What have been your unique challenges? And how have you overcome them?
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