The Entrepreneur's Identity Crisis: 'Am I My Company?'

A founder learned the hard way that entrepreneurship means exploring unknown paths, sometimes leading entrepreneurs to a very different place from where they started.

By Jason Feifer • Mar 6, 2018

This is an episode of our podcast, Problem Solvers. Each week, an entrepreneur reveals how they overcame an unexpected problem in their business -- and were happier and more successful as a result. The show is hosted by Entrepreneur's editor in chief, Jason Feifer. Listen below, or subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Glenn Kelman thought of himself as a software guy. Then he became CEO of a real-estate company called Redfin, but insisted on seeing it as a software company. Confusion reigned. Cultures clashed. For Kelman, it would come to highlight an often-unspoken business challenge: Entrepreneurship means exploring unknown paths, sometimes leading entrepreneurs to a very different place from where they started. The result can challenge not just their business philosophies but their very sense of identity.

Hear more about Kelman's story in this week's Problem Solvers.

Jason Feifer

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor in Chief

Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine and host of the podcast Problem Solvers. Outside of Entrepreneur, he is the author of the book Build For Tomorrow, which helps readers find new opportunities in times of change, as the host of the podcast Help Wanted, where he and cohost Nicole Lapin solve listeners' work problems. He also writes a newsletter called One Thing Better, which each week gives you one better way to build a career or company you love.

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.

The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy

After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.

6 Questions to Ask Before You Begin Your Franchise Search

Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.

He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game

Most Popular

See all

Leadership

Why Failure is a Choice You Make

Failure is a product of our mind and therefore we determine if it exists or not. Learn more empowering ways to view situations where failure becomes a stepping stone, not a roadblock.

By Jen Sugermeyer