Knowledge@Emory carries an interesting piece on the pressures and joys of entrepreneurship, culled from the wisdom of many a risk taker :

“An entrepreneur has to like to take big risks. When I say big risks, I mean BIG risks. I’m talking about losing your own stuff. Not somebody else’s. You’re not risking getting fired; you’re risking losing everything you ever had.”

“Flexibility and an open-mind are also key factors in entrepreneurship.”

Definition of an entrepreneur: “He or she who has succeeded more often than they have failed.”

“What does a great leader do, especially an entrepreneurial leader? You hire people that are smarter than you. You don’t want to be on this big ego trip.”

Another tip: you better like what you’re doing. “Whatever business you get into, it is a way of life”. “You better pick something you like. You have to live it. I never had so little time off as when I started my own company.”

And I am reminded of Dan Bricklin’s quote once again :

“As you jump from rock to slippery rock, you have to *like* the feeling.”