Obsessed maniacs and clairvoyant oracles: empirically validated patterns of entrepreneurial behavior

Abstract

Diverse and complex challenges in new venture formation demand rare and exceptional entrepreneurial acumen, particularly in technology-driven environments where disrupted markets amplify the factors and magnitude of uncertainty and risk. The successful technology entrepreneur (term of art for Strategic Knowledge Arbitrage and Serendipity (SKARSE ™ ) enactors) is focused yet flexible, demonstrating relentless intensity of purpose while adapting that purpose under changing conditions. The distinguished entrepreneur accurately predicts events and conditions in advance for superior strategic positioning. We find that two terse descriptors -obsessed maniacs and clairvoyant oracles -encapsulate critical attributes conducive to superlative entrepreneurial posture, propensity, and performance to anticipate and recognize challenges and convert them into opportunities. In so doing, the entrepreneurs leverage strategic knowledge serendipity factors and practice strategic knowledge arbitrage competences. From the pre-market perspectives of R&D and innovation management through successful marketing and commercialization of engineered innovations, technology foresight and forecasting pivot on the entrepreneur's unrelenting persistence to pursue a vision and unclouded prescience of exactly what vision to pursue. To investigate our premise, we conduct comprehensive surveys and interviews with 33 founding entrepreneurs, comparatively analyzing their experiences against complementary data sources to develop personal profiles of critical attributes and behavioral characteristics. Employing qualitative analytic techniques, we find the data rich in empirical evidence to support a perspective of entrepreneur as obsessed maniac and clairvoyant oracle, plus many other intrinsic characteristics of personality, motivation, intention, and action that constitute the entrepreneurial actor.

“Distinguished” women entrepreneurs in the digital economy and the multitasking whirlpool

“…The critical attributes, competency and behavioral characteristics of the successful entrepreneur are brought to light in an empirically validated study of entrepreneurial behavior by Carayannis and Stewart (2013): "The distinguished entrepreneur", they argue, predicts events and conditions accurately and in advance for superior strategic positioning, adding "We find that two terse descriptors-obsessed maniacs and clairvoyant oracles-encapsulate critical attributes conducive to superlative entrepreneurial posture, propensity and performance to anticipate and recognize challenges and convert them into opportunities" (Fig. 2).…”

“…In pursuing a vision, the successful entrepreneur leverages strategic knowledge, serendipity factors, technology foresight, unrelenting persistence and practice and strategic knowledge arbitrage competences. In other words, the distinguished entrepreneur, according to Carayannis and Stewart (2013), is not only able to predict the future, but also anticipate and shape it. He or she will accurately predict events and conditions before they occur, which permits strategic positioning of the venture for optimal advantage.…”

“…Drive, perseverance, personal ambition and a degree of mania are among the characteristics cited for the distinguished entrepreneur. As an example, Carayannis and Stewart (2013) refer to an old case study, that of Madame Walker, whose ambition was so great, even though her revenues reached only 10 dollars a week and her husband tried to persuade her to slow down. Walker set up an office in Pittsburgh, a factory in Indianapolis and a salon in New York City.…”

Examination of Sports Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Strategy

“…What this means is that issues that arise in the realm of obsession for the entrepreneur are workaholism, perfectionism, control issues, difficulty accepting rejection of ideas, stubborn, and never giving up. Further, issues arising from mania include aggressiveness, winging it without a plan, restlessness and always moving ahead, and exaggerated optimism, passion, or excitement (2). Under the term clairvoyant and oracle in the study, characteristics such as natural salesperson, persuasiveness, vision, actively positioning for an opportunity, and making good luck scenarios occur, were associated.…”

“…From the results of this study, it can be seen that students of sport management have a higher inclination for innovativeness, which is a key player in the success of an entrepreneur. According to a study, entrepreneurs display behaviors of obsessed maniacs and clairvoyant oracles (2). What this means is that issues that arise in the realm of obsession for the entrepreneur are workaholism, perfectionism, control issues, difficulty accepting rejection of ideas, stubborn, and never giving up.…”