Ask HN: How to describe myself as an entrepreneur without sounding cocky?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7930443

by grimmfang • 12 years ago

9 8 12 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm currently working on a personal portfolio site but can't decide what to describe myself as. At the moment, I've simply put Entrepreneur & Web Architect. I know many of you have great personal sites and I would love some criticism.

If you do visit my projects github page, please note my design work is not yet finished.

grimmfang.github.io/Portfolio

Thanks!

utunga• 12 years ago

A writer is someone who writes, if not for a living, at least every day. It doesn't matter if they are published yet. Similarly an entrepreneur is someone who is actively building a business.. it doesn't matter if they are successful yet.

You can, of course, put whatever the heck you like on your own home page. But if it makes you twitch then maybe stick with web architect for now, and get out there and start building your business. Once you feel you are building a real business you'll be happy to use the word entrepreneur. I suggest you use this as a motivation to get out there and do what you want to do. Let the phrasing on the portfolio/profile site look after itself.

In my mind building a business means more than just having a tax vehicle around your own personal consultation services. A consultation services business probably has other employees. Once you are building a business that is designed to actually create and sell something (whether it be service or product) then be proud to use the word entrepreneur. Till then, stick it up on the fridge as a goal !

--- signed, someone who alternates between writing 'Entrepreneur' and 'Programmer' on the immigration forms each time I travel, depending on whether I'm currently actively building a startup or just living off my consultation services.

mtrimpe• 12 years ago

If it's for a portfolio then you're probably going to work for people.

What are you going to be doing for them? How are you going to add value to their business?

If they wanted that value and were actively looking; what job titles would they put into Google?

That's what you want to describe yourself as on a portfolio site.

davidkatz• 12 years ago

Try describing what you do instead of labelling it. "I'm building an app that helps blind folks read".

Personally, I'm allergic to the word 'Entrepreneur', whenever I hear it I wince. Just say what you're building, plain and simple. I also wouldn't call myself a Web Architect, I don't really understand what that means, it just sounds fancy.

Also consider not giving yourself a title at all. If you really want a title, I'd go with something humble like "a guy who builds stuff on the internet".

For reference, this is my personal site: http://www.davidkatz.me/

hansy• 12 years ago

This is good advice. Personally, I call myself a "founder" or "co-founder" over "entrepreneur."

For in-person interactions, whenever someone asks me what I do, I always just say I work for a tiny company that does XYZ. If they pursue and ask what I do for the company, I say I bounce around doing a bunch of things (which founders do).

grimmfang• 12 years ago

Wonderful little site, and great advice.

ASneakyFox• 12 years ago

I agree with this concept as names are meaningless. But id like to throw in that if you're looking for corporate work then your title is important as the people hiring you don't usually understand what you do, so just explaining your work might not pan out. You'll want a good title and some thing that explains your work in terms of money.

When working with others who are familiar with your industry then that caveat does not apply though.

btian• 12 years ago

Just describe what you do. Web designer / front-end programmer etc.

Please don't call yourself web architect unless you're involved in W3C standards...

ASquare• 12 years ago

Maybe this talk will also help you figure out what to call yourself - aka Start With Why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sioZd3AxmnE

Ask HN: How to describe myself as an entrepreneur without sounding cocky?

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