Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From James Bond

Big things have small beginnings, sir.

This article is not just about skills any entrepreneur possesses: Resilience, Focus, Fortitude, Self-reflection, Self-reliance, and Gutsy. It’s something beyond that. It is a virtual panacea for business. The word ‘Entrepreneurship’ is defined in many ways by various authorities:

1. Entrepreneurship is actually a sequential array of designing, launching, and maintaining a new business.
2. It is also referred as the willingness and capacity to develop and organise a business venture by innovating and taking risks.
3. Entrepreneurship is mainly concerned with exploiting the latest opportunity in the market to set up something that hasn’t yet been designed and implemented.

The highway to entrepreneurship is paved with roadblocks and potholes, i.e., it’s not at all easy. Entrepreneurs know how to create a business with their sense of self-worth. Successful entrepreneurs always lead a business in a proper trajectory by making wise decisions in changing environments. They understand their own strengths and weaknesses.

You must be knowing who is James Bond. But still here’s a mandatory introduction. He is a popular fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by Ian Fleming. Apart from films, the character has also been adapted into radio, comic strip, television, video games, etc. Started in 1962, James Bond is the longest continually running and the third-highest-grossing film series to date till date.

Have you ever wondered if Agent 007 has any entrepreneurial lessons to impart? Yes, he has. Let’s take a look.

James Bond and Entrepreneur

‘Famous Fictional Character’ and ‘Innovative and Ideal Leader’ – well, that’s one heaven of a combination. Won’t it make it classy and compelling? Definitely. This decade has been declared as ‘Entrepreneur’s Era’ as everyone is trying hard to lead the troops of employees.

Similarity

As per a Forbes article, James Bond is armoured with these qualities:

• Gutsy, dauntless, and risky
• Thinking on your feet
• Taking advantage of tech innovations
• Dress for success
• Always have a backup plan & value your plan even if it gets hurdles
• Finally, finish what you start

The 007th point is ‘surprise the audience with a difference they love’. How to make that difference?

Doesn’t it look similar? These are the same qualities we look for in entrepreneurs. Well, yes! Let’s get into the details:

• Before jumping into entrepreneurship, ask yourself certain eligible and exigent questions.
• Are you done with the licenses, permits and registry paperworks for your firm?
• About Supplies – are you buying raw materials? Do you need computers and/or other devices?
• Office space. Do you have enough investment capital to meet that huge expense?
• What are your strategies regarding marketing and sales?

Philosopher David Hume famously wrote, “Your corn is ripe today; mine will be so tomorrow. ‘ Slow but steady start is a must for any startup.

Steve Jobs said,

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

What Entrepreneurs have that others don’t!

• Smart Entrepreneurs focus on one thing at a time instead of trying many things at once.
• Entrepreneurs use their visions and abilities to overturn industries. Your vision becoming a reality will be the measure of your success, and throughout this process, you must stay true to who you are.
• Entrepreneurs mix ideas, innovation, and insight in their creativity and curiosity.
• Upgrading their service/product consistently as per the needs and expectations. They do it right. Very right.
• They expand their circles. The world has become social and so they keep on meeting people endlessly and stay in touch with them. Connections matter whether they are personal, professional, philanthropic, political, or private.
• Learning never stops. They stay curious. They opt to learn something new every day.
• Taking a more nuanced approach to self-expression will help you motivate your team, present to investors, and speak at conferences. Learn how to tell stories. Storytelling is important on different levels.
• Get personal with technology. It is a must. And they stick to it.
• Build a strong and passionate team that is reliable and energetic too.

How to choose investors? Normally, young entrepreneurs can’t be picky. But they know that their relationship with investors will probably be long-term. There are 10 types of entrepreneurs based on business, technology, size of the enterprise, ownership, trading, manufacturing, etc. Each entrepreneur behave differently, as their categories and strategies toward their businesses vary.

This is how Bonds and Entrepreneurs come out as toppers. James Bond is the ultimate spy and an Entrepreneur is a legendary leader. Their suave skills delight audiences and customers.

They are better than the best. And that’s why they always win. We too like to win always, right? Is it easy? Umm…Don’t get too fascinated and come down to earth from the ‘Seventh Heaven’. Yes, the determined, dauntless and dynamic personality can definitely touch the divine pinnacle. But as it was mentioned earlier, “ Big things have small beginnings, sir.”