The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma

When to quit — said Kamen, also the inventor of health care technologies and the Slingshot water purifier — is “the toughest question there is” for any entrepreneur who survives on creativity and instinct.

“It’s not nearly as glamorous as people think to keep working on something and to keep hitting roadblocks and to keep going,” he said.

Stubborn, delusionally optimistic, creative, fearless, flexible and focused are some of the ways psychologists and business people describe the personality of an entrepreneur. Surprisingly, another word is ignorant.

…

Research by Harvard Business School psychology professor emeritus Abraham Zaleznik has unveiled a darker side to the entrepreneur’s psyche.

Another academic researcher on the topic, professor Kelly Shaver of the College of William & Mary, told Forbes magazine in 2002 that successful entrepreneurs “really don’t care as much” about what other people think. “They’re just happy to go ahead and do what they’re doing.” 

From CNN.com: Segway Inventor Reveals Toughest Question