In my experience, when you really break it down, there are three types of business people...

1. Entrepreneurs /1;
2. Intrapreneurs /2; and,
3. Them Corporate Fellas.

This is not necessarily about being successful (I will define that in a later date) or good vs. evil. This can be about informed risk taking, best business practices and career planning. But, in terms of a basic outline, here is what I believe are the fundamental differences between the breeds.

Entrepreneurs

When I was 10 years old, my grandfather introduced me to his best friend saying, "You could drop Brian buck naked on to a [Nebraska] corn field, and two weeks later he would own the farm."  I did not really understand what he meant by that until I was about 30 years old. But, I sure do appreciate that insight more and more each day.

Entrepreneurs are willing to write the check, put it on the table and boldly grow the business, taking all of the risk upon themselves. The business thrives or dies based on the entrepreneur's early decision-making and ability to visualize and implement nimble business plans.

The entrepreneur creates a product or service based on good timing; rallies a good management team; and can fund the project his or herself. Later as the plan begins to blossom, the entrepreneur is "capital friendly" and can raise capital as needed, or desired, to develop and grow the business.

Entrepreneurs take the single biggest risk in a venture and expect to realize the biggest reward. Unfortunately, if venture capital gets involved, this is not always the case. On the other hand, the laws of "natural selection" demonstrate that the savvy entrepreneur recognizes that owning 40% of a successful venture is preferable to owning 100% of nothing.

When I coach and counsel entrepreneurs (secular or ministry) I ask them the "Big Three Questions:"

1. Do they have a plan they are willing to invest their own money in?
2. Can they live without income (as defined by not taking money from someone else)?
3. Is their wife dialed in?

If they can't say, "yes" to ALL three questions, they probably should not try to launch a new venture, and they probably aren't really entrepreneurs.

Who is NOT an Entrepreneur?

Investors are often not entrepreneurs (they obviously can be or possibly have been).  Investors may not possess the vision to create things or lead teams. Commission-only sales people are not entrepreneurs. They might be inspired by a product or service enough to evangelize it. But, they typically don't create it. On the other hand, many entrepreneurs must sell themselves and their vision.  People that start ministries and rely on donations and other people's money ("OPM") are probably not entrepreneurs. But, they might instead be "Intrapreneurial."

Intrapreneurs

The Intrapreneur has a risk gene but may not have the capital (or desire to deploy their own capital) to launch their scheme /3.

I think the guys at GE back in the Jack Welch days, and the good men at UPS Ventures around the 1998 time-frame are fairly good examples of Intrapreneurs. They tend to have good instincts around what works and can't. Developing products that are "disruptive"/4 and will fit into a corporate culture, and possibly change the way we do things as a society, are two good examples. These people instinctively band together and build services inside the parent company ultimately knowing they will give away control and most of the upside (other than a little equity and bonus) to other leadership.

A clear differentiator between an Entrepreneur and an Intrapreneur is how they view compensation. Good (or, those that survive and we read stories about) Entrepreneurs take calculated risks with their homes (or equity) on the line. Intrapreneurs might think that taking a reduced salary is the big risk. This means they believe in the plan. It might even make them bold. But, it does not make them Entrepreneurs.

Sometimes Intrapreneurs get to become Entrepreneurs. I know a good number of UPS Venture guys that are still pulling this off today.

Them Corporate Fellas

First of all, despite the way this moniker sounds, I am not disdainful of Corporate Fellas - also known as good soldiers. I recruit corporate types daily. And, they are the life-blood of most companies. They range from the CEO all the way down the chain-of-command to service personnel. Every great company is comprised of contributing individuals that have critically different DNA and appropriate jobs based on skills and experience (and desires). I meet and/ or coach Corporate Fellas every day that believe working for a startup with an at-market compensation plan makes them Entrepreneurial. They will often say that they are risking their career (or career-path), reputation, future marketability, etc. What they are really risking is the wrath of their spouse.

As it turns out, the spouse element might well be the greatest factor in determining whether a fellow is an Entrepreneur, Intrapreneur, or, one of them Corporate Fellas. Never forget the "Happy Wife, Happy Life" Rule /5.

What is very important to understand and remember is that all three types of business people are vitally important to the global business community. Cultures are formed by catalytic Entrepreneurs; developed by Intrapreneurs; and, preserved by them Corporate Fellas.

Many of you have heard me say "It's easier to roll boulders down hill than up hill". So, perhaps a good analogy to summarize the key differences between these types of people would be Entrepreneurs push boulders up hill; Intrapreneurs push boulders down hill; and, Corporate Fellas keep the boulders from crushing the villagers below.

1/ American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source en·tre·pre·neur... A person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture.
2/ This term was coined by Brian Patrick Cork 
3/  'Scheme' is not always a bad word. 
4/  This usually means catalyst for change events.
5/  I first heard this term from my grandfather, Clifford Cork.  It took a long time, but I heard it later from Sonny Newton at Chick-Fil-A.  Both good men that have inspired me for many of the same, and very different, reasons, in 1993.

Brian Patrick Cork has been a highly successful executive and entrepreneur; is a seasoned public speaker; professional athlete; and an accomplished executive recruiter and business coach.

www.bchcroi.com