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What Do Ya Wanna Be? Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneurial superstar?

By Pamela Rohland

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Remember when you dreamed of becoming a rock star? Sure, youplayed great air guitar in your bedroom, but the fantasy prettymuch started and ended there. Now your wanna-be dreams center onbecoming a different kind of star: a wealthy entrepreneur with afast-track tech company that will last longer than the leftoversfrom the grand-opening party. Frankly, that may be as likely asbecoming the warm-up act for Madonna, according to Rob Ryan,founder of Entrepreneur America, a Hamilton, Montana-based businessdevelopment program for select entrepreneurs, and author ofEntre-preneur America: Lessons From Inside Rob Ryan's High-Tech Boot Camp (Harper- Business). He says only a small percentageof aspiring entrepreneurs have the combination of heart and brainsso essential for success in the brutal high-tech industry.

Ryan reveals the characteristics of the most common types ofwanna-bes:

Quickies have lots of get-rich-quick business models withno clear-cut application or value to customers.
Wonderful, wacky MBAs love charts and market reports butoverlook crucial data, such as who their customers are.
Send moneys believe once they have a big VC check, the restwill automatically fall into place.
Dreamers love to gas about their grand ideas but are unableto make the all-important leap to reality.
One-stripe zebras have a single-function product with amarket too narrow to support a company.
Technoids are smart about technology but clueless aboutrunning a business.
Guts & brains have done all their homework and have theintestinal fortitude and IQ points to make it in the dog-eat-dogbusiness world. They're willing to eat beans and rice and facerejection day in and day out during their businesses' difficultearly stages. Few entrepreneurs are capable of transforming intoGuts & Brains, Ryan says. The key to making the big leap isdoing what so few others manage to do: Use common sense. Offer aproduct or service of value; talk to customers about it; don'ttry to raise capital before you've laid a strong foundation.And don't spend any money before you've earned it. SaysRyan, "Ninety-nine percent of the people I see make the samesimple mistakes over and over.'

Wanna Be Worksheet

  • Is your company "vision' intergalactic inscope-vague and unable to be patented?

  • Are you afraid customers will steal your idea?

  • Do you have to explain your business idea in excruciatingdetail so others understand it?

  • If you answered yes to these, you're a "Dreamer,"and your prospects for real success are dim.
  • Does your management team include experienced engineers and askilled marketer?

  • Does your team have years of experience in the chosenfield?

  • Are you testing your business hypothesis on potentialcustomers?

  • Has your team built a demo or prototype to show customers?

  • If you answered yes to these, congratulations! You're a"Guts & Brains." Now make it happen!

Pamela Rohland writes about the joys and tribulations ofentrepreneurship for a variety of regional and national businesspublications.

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