16 Nov 2008

A Brave New World

Image by Amadika

Well, since I’ve claimed credit for the word (I may not be the first to use it, but I’ll be the one to use it most) I thought I should spend some time talking about my definition and perceptions of the word, as well as my intentions to brand myself with it.

The word “entrepreneur” is overused these days. It doesn’t mean anything anymore and it certainly does not carry with it the same passion that it used to. I want to change that, and I want to change it in a way that leaves the word as a shadow of itself.

In these days of web 2.0 and social media, the true superstars are those that are passionate about what they do. The people that truly represent what it means to be a webrepreneur are not those that simply know how to use Twitter or Facebook, although they might. The real webrepreneurs are those that operate without having to label themselves or force themselves into a niche. They simply flow from inspiration to inspiration. In the words of Soren Kierkegaard, “once you label me, you negate me.”

In my opinion, the true spirit of the webrepreneur is grounded in the man or woman’s ability to use technology and innovation and merge it with the will to succeed, in order to design a life for yourself that makes you happy. One of my favorite quotes happens to come from the work of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and voiced by the protagonist Howard Roark:

“I came here to say that I do not owe one minute of my life to any other man, the world is suffering from an orgy of self-sacrifice.”

This is not to say that one cannot benefit the lives of others in the process, but true innovation is inspired by man’s quest to find happiness for himself. You don’t owe your life to your job or any other institution. Life is too short to live unhappy and as long as your quest does not interrupt the ability for another man to pursue his, then you should be entitled to find happiness. It is your right.

Now, before I am accused of being a selfish and greedy capitalist I want to mention a few caveats. First of all, I do not equate happiness to wealth or material acquisition. Wealth is simply the vehicle that allows us to pursue our true goals. I also believe that the act of giving back and being an asset to society is part of finding happiness, however I do not believe that we have the chance when we are consumed by job-related or social responsibility.

Now, back to the original topic…the definition of a webrepreneur. If I had to define the term, and by now I think it is pretty clear I am against cornering a word by defining it, I would define it as such:

A webrepreneur is a socially minded entrepreneur that uses the world wide web to harness passion and innovation in order to further the social consciousness and reclaim the internet for the givers, rather than the takers.

Now, you might notice I did not mention one word about making money or creating wealth. Although I believe making money is part of the process, the money comes as a trade for the benefit you are offering the community. You will be paid for the value you offer, not the value you manufacture.

When I speak of social consciousness, I refer to the spirit inside of every man and women that desires to be free. People have been beaten down by their jobs or responsibilities. People spend their entire lives doing things they hate, and for what reason? The webrepreneur is capable of reminding people of this spirit inside of themselves and helping them harness it. I talk about him often, but Gary Vaynerchuk is the perfect example of this spirit. Chris Brogan is another example…his favorite topic is that of helping others.

We can’t all be motivators, but if we claim the Internet back from the scammers and those that don’t offer any value, then we can create a better environment for everyone to succeed. We all bring value to the table in one way or another. Although I may not be the most motivating speaker, I believe I can offer value by providing information via a variety of websites and businesses. If for one second I thought one of my ventures was ripping people off or not adding value to the noise of the Internet, I would cancel it and find another method.

Do I think that I can make a living with this model using such ambiguous terms and goals? Sure I do, in fact I have no doubt. The process is slow and steady, but anything worth achieving is worth working hard for, and honestly I have the most fun when I am working hard doing something I love. The simple answer is that if you give value to others, you will profit in one way or another.

I’d like to hear your opinion on the issue and would love for you to offer your definition of what a webrepreneur is to you.

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nathan

Thanks for stopping by and for your comments. Sure, I don't mind people labeling me, but the difficult part is to stay who you are when that happens. In fact, I am risking my own behavior by calling myself a "webrepreneur," but I think I can balance that by using it as an umbrella term. The key is to stay true to yourself.
Armen Shirvanian

That quote "once you label me, you negate me" is right on the money. Allowing someone to label you is a big step in the wrong direction. A label on someone is like a chain placed on their mind, and it limits the thinking they allow themselves to have. Any person aspiring to be a success would do well to not accept any label provided by others. It is alright for others to attempt to label someone, but the limitations don't start unless they accept it. On a side note, the term "entrepreneur" sure does appear to be overused, and has lost its original value. There is quite a bit of material here that is right on point.

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