“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
Growing Dominion, Part 66
“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14).
Entrepreneurs have a delicate task before them, and often entrepreneurs are not really suited to perform that delicate task. The strength of the entrepreneur is that he can see opportunities that no one else can see, and because he sees it, he can take advantage of it without a whole lot of competition. There are not a lot of other people clamoring to be allowed to do the “crazy thing.” And when others wake up and see what he has done, he is already down the road and around the bend. The entrepreneur is a visionary, and visionaries are often alone.
At the same time, this proverb contains a lot of wisdom-even for entrepreneurs. Especially for entrepreneurs. A man with vision may be the only one who sees that big picture. He can see the grand scope of things, and so it might be counterproductive to go ask around, seeking out a multitude of counselors who see the same big picture. They probably don’t. But an entrepreneur can still parcel out his vision, and can seek counsel on the various aspects of his vision. What about the finances? What about the investors? What about the marketing? What about the hiring process? An entrepreneur who does not have a multitude of counselors is one who is risking more than he ought to. Where there is no counsel, the people fall.