Entrepreneur vs. Wantrepreneur

Why Dreams Without Action Quietly Die—and How to Finally Bring Yours to Life
There’s a phrase I hear all the time.
“I’m working on it.”
“I’m developing my plan.”
“I’m going to launch soon.”
Sometimes that “soon” lasts months, sometimes it lasts years, and sometimes it lasts a literal
lifetime.

Please hear me when I say “This isn’t an attack. It’s an observation.” If you recognize yourself
in it, good—that means you’re still in the game. But we need to draw a clear, honest line
between two very different identities:

Entrepreneurs
and
Wantrepreneurs

I may or may not have made up the word Wantrepreneur but I probably didn’t…who knows.
They are most definitely not the same thing—and pretending they are might be the single
biggest reason so many dreams never make it out of the notebook.

The Hard but Helpful Truth

You are NOT an entrepreneur because you have an idea.

You are NOT an entrepreneur because you bought a domain, made a logo, or built a
spreadsheet.

You are NOT an entrepreneur because you intend to start a business.

You become an entrepreneur at one specific moment:
When a real human being gives you real money for something you created.
That’s it. That’s the line that everyone MUST step over to actually become an entrepreneur. So
many people love to call themselves entrepreneurs or say that they are very entrepreneurial but
until you meet that one criteria that I mentioned above, YOU’RE NOT.

Now it is important to realize that before the moment of your first actual transaction, you’re not a
failure. You’re probably not lazy and most likely you’re not broken. You’re simply a
wantrepreneur—someone who wants the outcome without yet crossing the risk threshold. You
have a dream but there are conditions, you must actually do something about it.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret and it just so happens to be the extremely dangerous part:
Wantrepreneurship feels productive. Yep, all that dreaming and talking actually starts to feel
as though you are really doing something. There is an old saying that is very true that states
“You can’t go anywhere you haven’t gone first in your mind.” This means that if you haven’t
thought about something, planned at least a little, and seen yourself doing whatever that is then
you will not be able to make it happen in reality. Like it or not this is true. For all intents and
purposes you become an ACTION FAKER! This is a real thing and it is NOT GOOD!

Why Wantrepreneurship Is So Seductive

Modern culture rewards the appearance of entrepreneurship.
● Planning feels responsible
● Research feels smart
● Branding feels official
● Talking about your idea feels validating

Your brain doesn’t know the difference between progress and preparation. That is why
athletes who spend time visualizing the perfect run, the perfect shot, or themselves flawlessly
executing any skill they need perform markedly better. The brain is an extremely powerful tool
for your success however if used improperly it can actually short circuit that same success.

Neurologically speaking, it gets worse. Studies on dopamine, one of the “feel good”
neurochemicals, show that anticipation of reward often releases more dopamine than the
actual reward itself. My theory is because when you are just thinking about it and anticipating
the reward you have removed all the risk that you actually have to deal with when you are
attempting the task in reality. Those stress neurochemicals can dampen the dopamine effect
and therefore produce less of a rush.
In plain language:
Talking about the dream can feel better than doing the work.
That means every time you say “I’m working on something big”, your brain gives you a hit of
satisfaction—without requiring risk.  You feel like an entrepreneur…without having to be one. This is how people get stuck for years and never fully take the leap. Side note: society likes to program people to focus on “What if it doesn’t work?” You see it over and over and over in movies and tv shows as well as all over
social media. I find it interesting that most people forget that there is a flip side to that thought
process that is just as likely when first starting out, “What if it does work?” I think that little mind
bend could be a game changer for many.

The Data Doesn’t Lie (For the Analytical Minds)

Let’s ground this in numbers.
● According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, roughly 20% of businesses fail
in the first year, and about 50% fail within five years.
● But here’s the stat no one talks about:
The majority of ideas never even become businesses.
● A CB Insights analysis found that only about 10–15% of people who say they want to
start a business ever actually launch one.
● Of those who do launch, the most common early failure reason isn’t lack of funding—it’s
lack of customers.

This data reinforces the core truth:
The market, not your motivation, decides if you’re an entrepreneur.
Customers are the only vote that counts!

The First Transaction Changes Everything

Your first sale does something no book, podcast, or business plan ever can.
It forces you to confront reality.
● Was the problem real?
● Did anyone actually want this?
● Were you clear?
● Were you brave enough to ask?

That first transaction is rarely clean or glamorous. It’s often awkward, under-priced, and messy but it does something profound:
It converts your dream into a responsibility and a reality! Once someone pays you—even five
dollars—you are no longer theorizing, you have turned your idea into a successful proof of
concept. You are now accountable to that customer and all the future customers you will serve.
That’s the moment you cross from imagining a business to operating one. That is the moment
you actually become an entrepreneur!

Not Everyone Is Meant to Be a Business Owner—and That’s Okay

Now I want you to face a hard question that must be answered with an icy resolve before
you take your first steps. This part deeply matters, and it requires you to be brutally honest with
yourself.
Are you actually meant to be a business owner and do you have what it takes?
Entrepreneurship is not morally superior. It is not more noble. It is not “braver” in any context.
Owning a business requires:
● Risk tolerance
● Emotional regulation
● Long decision horizons
● Comfort with uncertainty
● The ability to be wrong publicly and repeatedly
● And to be completely honest you have to be a bit off your rocker.

Some people don’t want that weight, some people don’t function best under that pressure and
that’s not a flaw—it’s wisdom. You must know yourself in this manner, it is literally for your
survival. The pressures that can happen, sometimes on a regular basis, are not everyone’s cup
of tea. They are real and they are intense. Some folks thrive on this pressure and challenge
and others crumble under it. Neither is better or worse, it is just how you are wired and if you choose
the wrong one it can and most likely will have grave health and life consequences.

Great companies are built by great teams, not just founders. There is honor in craftsmanship,
leadership, stability, and contribution inside someone else’s vision.
If entrepreneurship doesn’t align with how you’re wired, forcing it will drain you—not fulfill you. It
will harm you instead of making you shine.
But, if you are wired for it…Then staying a wantrepreneur is far more painful than failing ever will
be.

The Question That Separates the Two

So here’s the real dividing line. It’s not your ideas nor your intelligence and for the most part not
passion.
It is really just this simple:
Have you asked someone to buy it?
Not someday, not after it’s perfect, not once you feel “ready.” Have you asked—today? If not,
you’re not behind.  You are, however, standing at the edge of a life altering decision. And
eventually, you either step forward or you quietly step away. Both are valid paths, but only one
leads to becoming who you keep saying you want to be.

A Final Encouragement (Not a Rebuke)

This isn’t about shame.
It’s about clarity.

Dreams don’t die from lack of talent.
They die from lack of decisive action.

You don’t need permission.
You don’t need perfection.
You don’t need a ten-step plan.
You need tenacity and the will to keep going until you get
one real transaction.
That’s how entrepreneurs are born.

Not in notebooks.
Not in meetings.
Not in intention.
But in action.

I hope you have heard my heart in this article. I am not here to pump you up and rah rah you
into doing something that you shouldn’t be doing and even more so that you don’t want to do.
Some will be offended and that’s fine, I’ve been founder and business owner in most industries
and styles. I don’t get rattled by what people think, I have learned to be more driven by how
people grow and how much I get the privilege to bless them. Sometimes that comes in the form
of brutal honesty. The Bible, which I am extremely fond of, says in Ephesians 4:15 that if we will
speak the truth in love, we will grow to become the mature body of Him who is the head, Christ.
That is great wisdom, if we speak the truth in love, we don’t blast people but tell them even the
hard truth for their benefit because we love them then we will grow and become mature. The
hope is that they will, however we can’t choose how others will receive it. Just a point of
clarification before I sign off here, this doesn’t mean that it’s ok to be a jerk if it’s true, in fact you
may not be the one that should tell them. You have to earn the right with them to speak that
truth and if you have done that job correctly they will gladly receive it! Have an outstanding day
and I hope to see you next time.
Doc B

I have added a quick assessment for you to do to help you in the process of deciding your next step.  You can't stand still and you have to choose a path.  Take a few minutes to do and it's only a few questions.  

Entrepreneur vs. Wantrepreneur

A Simple Self-Assessment

Instructions:
Answer each question Yes or No.
No explanations. No justifying. Brutal honesty only.

This is not a judgment.
It’s a diagnostic.

Section 1: Reality Check (Actions, Not Intentions)

1. I have asked at least one real person to pay me for my idea
2. I have accepted money from a real customer (not friends or family out of pity)
3. I have delivered—or attempted to deliver—something of value to a customer
4. I have received direct feedback from someone who paid me
5. I have changed or adjusted my offer based on real customer feedback

Section 2: Behavior Patterns (Be Honest)

Answer Yes if the statement is true.

1. I am still “getting ready” before launching
2. I talk about my idea more than I test it
3. I consume business content more than I implement
4. I avoid asking for money because I don’t want rejection
5. I feel busy, but not exposed

Scoring & Interpretation

Section 1 (Questions 1–5):

• 0–2 Yeses: You are currently a wantrepreneur
• 3–4 Yeses: You are crossing the line
• 5 Yeses: You are operating as an entrepreneur

Section 2 (Questions 6–10):

• 0–2 Yeses: Healthy momentum
• 3–4 Yeses: You may be stuck in preparation mode
• 5 Yeses: You are likely living in the dopamine loop of planning

The Line That Matters

You become an entrepreneur at the moment a real person gives you real money for something you created.

Until then, you’re not failing.
You’re just standing at the edge.

And the next step isn’t more planning.

It’s asking someone to buy.

The time has come...What will you choose?