Calling All Wantrepreneurs

http://blog.ramen.is/business/calling-all-wantrepreneurs/

by kenjamin • 13 years ago

13 22 13 years ago

blog.ramen.is

For anyone who's not familiar with the term: A wantrepreneur is an individual that desires to be, but is not quite yet, an entrepreneur. It sometimes has a negative tone that suggests they'll never be an entrepreneur.

kbyer• 13 years ago

OR, another definition: "Wantrepreneurs" do all sorts of business crap, EXCEPT useful stuff :)(http://www.appsumo.com/sumo-business-blueprint-live/)

wickedcoolmatt4• 13 years ago

Haha, I like this: "Learn how to kill your inner wantrepreneur."

jared3142• 13 years ago

I disagree with Urban Dictionary[1] on that definition. An entrepreneur who is trying to succeed, but has not, is just an unsuccessful entrepreneur. The negative context is what embodies the "wannabe" in "wantrepreneur", like "gangsta" and "wanksta". It is an insult. The person using the term thinks you have the desire to be seen as an entrepreneur, but neither the skills, nor the inclination, to actually build anything.

[1] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wantrepreneur

angilly7• 13 years ago

Yeah the definition on UD definitely misses out on the negative connotation implied.

romanovcode• 13 years ago

Wait, so this is startup that seeks money to make website to help other startups to seek money?

angilly7• 13 years ago

The idea is that we help you find your first 100 customers while your building your MVP. Money changes hands, but not a lot. Don't think of it like crowdfunding in the traditional sense. It's simply a way for a founder to come out of a 30 day campaign with ~100 customers a few thousand dollars committed, and give them a better chance at succeeding.

Killah911• 13 years ago

Please elaborate. How do you do this? I mean, kickstarter's an established brand. It seems like a good idea but how will you develop the marketplace that really will be "better"?

BTW, saw the video on your site, the general idea is really awesome. Wishing you the best of luck!

wickedcoolmatt4• 13 years ago

In a nutshell!

angilly7• 13 years ago

Hey everyone, one of the Ramen founders here. Would love to answer any questions you have!

chippy• 13 years ago

Is this saying "Invest in us instead of doing it yourself, as it's easier, and if you were going to do it yourself you would have done it by now"?

angilly7• 13 years ago

No that's not what we're thinking. We're not just giving software startups a place to raise capital. That's just the first bit. Once you hit your goal, we're building a whole bunch of tools to help you collaborate with your early customers.

Anyone that's built a startup has done that initial back and forth with the first customers. It's done with surveys and one-off emails and shared google docs. It's a mess.

We've looked at these processes, and we're building these features into Ramen (in "The Kitchen") that help founders collaborate with their early customers while the MVP is being built. That's the value we're creating.

atmosx• 13 years ago

Always be learning. Say “I don’t know”, “I don’t understand” and “I need help” EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Jesus, I feel like that all the time on HackerNews and StackOverflow... Okay, I don't cry out I need help, but I get the I don't understand and I need help feeling more often than not.

angilly7• 13 years ago

Yeah man. Nothing wrong with continually asking a questions ;)

nielr12• 13 years ago

These days "Always be learning" and "Always be googling" seem to be the same thing :)

wickedcoolmatt4• 13 years ago

Yar!

annafsawyer• 13 years ago

Is the difference between a 'good' wantrepreneur and a 'bad' wantrepreneur really just effort? Or resources? Team structure?

jared3142• 13 years ago

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.[1]

Wantrepreneurs are "wannabe entrepreneurs", in the same sense that wanksters are "wannabe gangsters". Someone is saying you want to be seen as an entrepreneur, but have neither the skills, nor the inclination, to actually build anything. It is an insult. They are calling you a "poser". Entrepreneurs who have yet to succeed, but are trying, are just new or unsuccessful entrepreneurs.

If you are trying to redefine the word, to give it a positive context, I can only wish you luck.

[1] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/quotes?item=qt0482717

nielr12• 13 years ago

I'm pretty sure princess bride quotes get the win always. If you read the subarticle mentioned on HuffPo the author there makes a pretty interesting argument.

angilly7• 13 years ago

Haha :)

I know what you're saying, but what I've seen is that people are unjustly called this word simply for being inexperienced. They have all the drive and are willing to do the work, but get derided for being inexperienced. Those people, who are incorrectly being called a wantrepreneur, are the people we are talking to in this post.

jbaylin• 13 years ago

by no way is this an endorsement of noah kagan (appsumo) - but i've always loved his stuff...

this video is great -- "Are YOU a Wantrepreneur?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LZU8oa2RqQ

Calling All Wantrepreneurs

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