My Week 2 Reading Reflection

Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice 

1. The biggest surprise for me is when the author stated that 95 percent of all radical innovations are created by 'gazelles' (small businesses). I mean, I could see it being a high number but not so high in which it seems like large industries really don't do much to provide for the innovation of our world.

2. The reading overall was completely understandable and not really confusing at all, but if I had to choose which confused me the most was when the author talked about how entrepreneurial education is becoming one of the hottest topics in business and engineering schools. I feel as if entrepreneurial education was becoming a hot topic I would hear more about it than from books or classes that I'm already taking about entrepreneurship. How I got into this class about entrepreneurship wasn't solely me hearing about wanting to become or aiding my optimistic view about creating opportunities, but was simply the act of me seeing an option in UF's application to attend school here asking about becoming a growing member of the Innovation Academy. I've also heard that a lot of business classes, and maybe engineering classes, don't really talking about being an entrepreneur. I guess that I'm simply going to have to look more into this.

3. In the second paragraph in the very beginning, the quote you use saying "Anyone [can be an entrepreneur] who wants to experience the deep, dark canyons of uncertainty and ambiguity; and who wants to walk the breathtaking highlands of success. But I caution, do not plan to walk the latter, until you have experienced the former." Do you always think entrepreneurship in this way? I like last sentence that's basically saying don't expect to be successful without failure.

When you were talking about small businesses being a 'gazelle' did you try to describe them that way because they are fast and can outrun predators (possible large companies), how they can form in groups and look out for each other, or maybe how they can easily be weak at first but grow stronger? Or maybe all and more?

4. What I don't necessarily agree with is how the author described entrepreneurship as this extremely elegant, ambiguous, uncertain process in deep, dark canyons  with highlands of success because I feel like it romanticizes entrepreneurship in a way. The quote may have people believe that entrepreneurship is easily seen or you can distinguish what it is with how hard or successful it can be. I feel like the author should have also stated how it can be even the small things that can make you an entrepreneur.