Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?

Being an entrepreneur is both a fad and a need of the hour in today’s time. On one hand, where the pandemic has rebooted a lot of industries, resetting the level playing field, entrepreneurs such as Nikhil Kamath, Elon Musk, and Larry Page, on the other hand, have become role models for many. That said, it’s often debated, can entrepreneurship be taught?

There are people who think entrepreneurship can be taught in a classroom while others believe entrepreneurship is learned by doing since countless entrepreneurs have done it after having either dropped out of college or not undergoing any business education. 

Well, when it comes to getting the next generation of leaders prepped for the uncertain world, it’s true that the traditional means of education will not suffice. To adapt to the rapidly evolving world, entrepreneurs need to be visionaries who can act nimbly in face of challenges, reimagine the art of every possible and adapt to the unknowable future.

Before we dive deeper into each side of this debate, let us understand ‘entrepreneurship’.

What is Entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship, unlike other courses in history, science, and marketing, is an art that cannot be bound by the precision of calculations or abstract analytical models. Entrepreneurship is the ability of someone to run a business against the odds, having the penchant for counterintuitive action to disrupt the status quo and imagine a way out of all adversities.

This means an entrepreneur is someone who takes risks, knows how to navigate through risks, and can overlook the financial, operational, and overall business-level strategies of a business.

With that definition out, now let’s get into the debates of each side to familiarize ourselves with both perspectives. Because while entrepreneurs are not born that way to act entrepreneurially, it also is not a skill that can be acquired and get success. 9 out of every 10 startups fail, entrepreneurs with or without a degree, so while education can enhance learning but can not guarantee success.

POV 1: No, Entrepreneurship Can Not Be Taught

It is difficult to comprehend that something that is uncertain, and unpredictable can be taught.

You can not learn to ride a bike by reading about it from a textbook, you have to actually get on a bike, try to ride it, and fall while attempting yet not give up to finally be successful. Without a real-world context, the teaching is simply futile.

So entrepreneurship can not be taught because:

1. There is no one path defined for teaching entrepreneurship.
2. Professors with no practical knowledge of building or running a startup, are not fit to impart knowledge on this subject.
3. Entrepreneurship is a balance of business skills and people skills, like empathy, leadership, and management. While an MBA can impart fundamental skills in business, legal, operations, and finance, people skills are the best learner from experience. 
4. It is an experiential subject, one that requires ‘learning by doing’.

A degree or a course may teach some fundamentals however, the essentials of running a business and being a true entrepreneur such as passion, ignition, and drive cannot be measured in some test or taught in a classroom.

POV 2: Yes, Entrepreneurship Can Be Taught

A business starts with an idea and then moves to streamline to a plan, backed by research, findings, and leveraging processes and tools.

An entrepreneur with education will definitely have an edge knowing such methodologies and scouting through the theoretical model that fits best for their use.

So yes, entrepreneurship can be taught because:

1. Build awareness of tools, processes, and methodologies that can be used to diminish the probability of failure or repeat.
2. Build a network of soon-to-be entrepreneurs, who will share the same set of struggles and challenges when they enter the real world.
3. Generate credibility for yourself which makes it easier to get a foot in the startup world.
4. Build a learning orientation and perseverance to keep at it now that you have entrepreneurship as a valid career choice.

Ways of Teaching Entrepreneurship in a Classroom:

Clearly, the traditional educational methods and their limitations are not suited to teaching entrepreneurship.

However, there are ways business schools can adapt their curriculum because entrepreneurship can only be taught when:

1. The course is activity-based and presents live case studies for students to learn from and think upon.
2. The course motivates students to take action rather than fall into analysis paralysis of “What if this goes wrong?”.
3. The course is enriched with collaborative participation, encouraging students to share their ideas openly in front of their peers, and explore co-creating entrepreneurial ventures

Both sides have a strong viewpoint but in the end, it all depends on you. While studying entrepreneurship may give you an edge in the early stages, it’s your will that will help you in the long run.

A degree or a course is another tool in your toolbox but you cannot rely on a professor’s advice to run your own business. Learning entrepreneurship means expanding the mind beyond the curriculum or preparation beyond the tests or mark scheme.

That means as aspiring entrepreneurs you need to continue learning beyond the classroom. If you expect it to be spoon-fed in the same way as other subjects and do not approach it with ample self-motivation and an attitude of self-guided learning, entrepreneurship can not be taught to you.

Conclusion:

If you are deciding whether to go for that degree or get an internship to gain real-world experience in entrepreneurship – you need to know that some entrepreneurship skills can be taught, but some cannot. You may choose to learn entrepreneurship in a classroom or not, but you can not get away with having a growth mindset and your ability to capitalize on every resource around you.

Today there are tons of resources available online plus many seasoned founders offering to coach or mentor, that you may want to learn from them instead. As long as you desire to do this you will gain knowledge from any source possible.

In the end, all that matters is your thirst to be able to become a true entrepreneur.