4 Key Differences between Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship

Differences between Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship: These terms are used interchangeably and possibly for the right reasons. I find it hard to differentiate between the two because they are closely interlinked. However, these terms are used differently. Entrepreneur is person-centric whereas entrepreneurship is business-centric.

Entrepreneurship is important because it takes the view away from a founder, into the business idea. It also represents the longevity of a business idea well beyond the creator. It is more long-term, has a longer life span and width compared with an entrepreneur which is person-centric and might not scale either.

Differences between Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship

They both start from the same emotion about taking risks and creating something out of an idea. They both go hand in hand to create a business establishment that carves a path for the differences between entrepreneur and entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur is someone who creates a business. It is all about the founder, their characteristics risk-taking ability, and vision to create something new. An entrepreneur is the creator and takes on the most important role of bringing something to life.

Image showing the difference and comparison between entrepreneur and entrepreneurship
Difference and comparison between entrepreneur and entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is all about the business. It talks about factors such as scalability, the value of a business idea, and an objective view of return on investment. Entrepreneurship is a faceless construct that makes some of the decisions objective and removes certain biases.

The differences between entrepreneur and entrepreneurship can be highlighted in these areas below:

  1. Entrepreneur is the individual, entrepreneurship is the business
  2. The entrepreneur focuses on risk-taking ability whereas entrepreneurship focuses on ideas, business value and capability to perform in the market
  3. The entrepreneur takes financial and personal risks. Entrepreneurship takes existential risks
  4. Entrepreneur is about leadership, business skills and risk-taking. Entrepreneurship is about the merit and performance of an idea in the field.

Table of differences: Entrepreneur vs. entrepreneurship

If you are looking for details of differences between the two, this table is a summary of all the variations that comes up while searching about these two words. The key thing to note, however, is that some of these can be argued for either term. The main difference comes back to the differences between the person and the entity. Following that, we can categorize the differences into different segments as below.

AttributeEntrepreneurEntrepreneurship
DefinitionAn individual who takes business risks.The process or activity of taking business risks.
FocusOn opportunities and decision-making.A broader range of activities including idea generation, planning, and execution.
RiskTakes personal and financial risks.The entire structure that enables and supports risk-taking
Practical AnalogyThe captain of the ship.The voyage or journey itself.
Role in EcosystemA key player, making decisions and taking action.The setting or framework within which entrepreneurs operate.
Independence
Can exist without entrepreneurship but may not be as effective.Can’t exist without an entrepreneur.
Day-to-Day
Focuses on management, leadership, and problem-solving.Encompasses everything from idea generation to business scaling.
Entrepreneur Vs Entrepreneurship


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Vinay Nagaraju

Product Director with 10+ years in leadership roles - team building, product strategy, coaching and mentoring are a part of my everyday responsibilities. I write about motivational words that inspire us and shape our thinking and help us go beyond these thoughts to find what our minds are telling us and evolve.

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