The Sick Mind Of The Serial Entrepreneur
When I decided to publish a significant portion of my highly valuable, globally-acclaimed thought leadership on LinkedIn, I spent a good deal of time vetting the platform. And I began by examining the profiles of many other thought leaders and critically essential people. Across my investigations, I discovered a terrifying trend on LinkedIn: people proclaiming themselves to be “Serial Entrepreneurs.” Over 18,000 in fact.
At first I thought, this must be some sort of a stunt or joke. Who in their right mind would put themselves in such a vulnerable position openly admitting their deepest secret on one of the world’s largest networking websites? But then I realized, this is probably exactly what their abnormal psychological condition would compel them to do. I’ve seen enough episodes of Unsolved Mysteries and read enough Thomas Harris novels to know that serial entrepreneurs don’t behave like you and me.
As an innovative thought leader and a trusted leader of innovative thinking, I felt an obligation to learn more. I became obsessed with the idea and sought to better understand the mind of the serial entrepreneur. What elements of their personality drive them to commit acts of serial entrepreneurialism? What compels them to do it again and again? How have so many not been caught?
And then lightning struck.
During an otherwise innocuous conversation with my attorney Robert Davis-Brockweiler Munghj, he confessed to me that he is a serial entrepreneur and has been for over 10 years! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He seemed confused when I told him that I was conflicted as to whether or not I should notify the authorities. However, after I had a moment to collect myself, I decided to continue the conversation and boldly ask some of the questions that had been in my mind for some time. Robert graciously (and perplexingly, to be frank) allowed me to share his identity and key points from our conversation that confirmed and dispelled some of the myths surrounding serial entrepreneurs.
NOTE: Robert apparently decided to spare me gory details by using a lot of metaphorical language which I’ve shared in the following. This “serial entrepreneur lingo” is surely another sign of the mental illness that lies beneath.
Serial Entrepreneurs ARE Dysfunctional Loners
There’s no doubt about it. Robert explained the challenges he encountered early in his professional career. He felt different from the other attorneys. He wasn’t satisfied with the standard partnership track. He wanted more. Much more. He began to spend his free time alone, obsessing over what he called “opportunities.” After he committed his first “start-up” with a young MBA he met at a “networking breakfast”, he found he was spending less time with his family. His relationship with his wife became challenged and he struggled to balance his personal and professional worlds. Ultimately, his serial entrepreneurialism became all-consuming, putting an unbearable strain on his personal financial situation, his friendships and his marriage.
Serial Entrepreneurs DO Operate In Patterns
Fueled by some sort of adrenaline rush from his successes, Robert found that he wasn’t satisfied by his first execution: he needed another one. Following a nearly identical path, Robert identified a new “opportunity”, this time a young woman who had an idea for a yoga franchise. Like his first, Robert would meet with her after hours at a Starbucks, poring over her “business plan”, and gaining her confidence until one night after a couple of beers at a nearby BW3's he committed his second act of serial entrepreneurialism. It was exhilarating, he told me. And he knew, from that moment on, one would never be enough. He would do it again and again.
Serial Entrepreneurs DO Want To Be Caught
Like any accomplished serial entrepreneur, Robert doesn’t want his acts of brilliance to go uncredited. He is insanely clever at how he perpetrates his “start-ups” and he compulsively–sometimes unconsciously–leaves clues at the scene of each. He said he’s gone so far as to write “decks” that explain his process, even sharing some of them openly on “webinars” and “forums” where apparently other serial entrepreneurs are prone to lurk. While one would expect his fascination with his discovery to be his undoing, he continues to this day to elude authorities and commit these unspeakable entrepreneurial acts.
Serial Entrepreneurs PROBABLY DO NOT make masks from their victims’ faces and parade around gaining the confidence of their family and friends in the hopes of killing them too.
This is where my conversation with Robert got confusing for both of us. What I thought was a fact I had gleaned from my research of other serial entrepreneurs, may have been conjecture or urban legend as he was clearly puzzled by my assertion. Regardless, I suppose that I had finally struck a nerve, because Robert became incensed and asked me to leave. From the look in his eyes–and the fact that he was planning to meet a group of undergraduate industrial designers to discuss their new “concept”–I fear that he was ready to serial entreprenate once more.
In conclusion, this trend of brash, wanton serial entrepreneurs boldly proclaiming their deeds on globally accessible websites is truly terrifying. But we must look past the fear, face their challenge to us head on and ask the most important question: How can we better understand them so that we may ultimately help them find their way to normal?
Speculatist, acclaimed thought leader, technology experimentalist, award-winning filmmaker, entrepreneur, acclaimed thought leader and Chief Innovation Officer Troy Hitch explores the consumer trends, business innovations and technological breakthroughs defining the next evolution of humankind. He leads with more thought at The Hypermutable Future.
Feature photo credit: Tim Notari.
