Hi James,


I couldn't agree more, I think it it's to do with "fear of failure": if the expectation is that success is a steady job, house, car, pension etc then you're unlikely to become an entrepreneur - you have to be prepared to lose it all one day and then win it back again. And based on cases I've seen that very much comes from family background. I often feel that there is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation here in the engineering field, it's seen as a "steady" industry and so attracts people who like that sort of reliability, and so the cycle continues. The James Dyson's tend to loudly proclaim themselves as outsiders - which I think is a shame for multiple reasons.


Many years ago I fancied starting up a business, but when I realised it would involve mortgaging our house to the point where we would lose it if I failed I pulled out (same story with a possible management buy-out I was on the fringes of once). If you look at serial entrepreneurs they would have done this without a qualm. The various tie-in books to "Dragon's Den" are very interesting when you look at successful entrepreneur's backgrounds.


So back to the thread, I wish I'd known more about the psychology of personal motivations - I think I'd have been quite interested if that had been in my degree course.


To take this in a slightly different direction - this bother's me about this government's excitement about the "gig economy". My experience is that many (most?) engineers really don't want to be talking their way into a new job each week - although a few (with different backgrounds) love it, they're already the self employed consultants with flash cars we're all envious of!


Cheers, Andy

Hi James,


I couldn't agree more, I think it it's to do with "fear of failure": if the expectation is that success is a steady job, house, car, pension etc then you're unlikely to become an entrepreneur - you have to be prepared to lose it all one day and then win it back again. And based on cases I've seen that very much comes from family background. I often feel that there is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation here in the engineering field, it's seen as a "steady" industry and so attracts people who like that sort of reliability, and so the cycle continues. The James Dyson's tend to loudly proclaim themselves as outsiders - which I think is a shame for multiple reasons.


Many years ago I fancied starting up a business, but when I realised it would involve mortgaging our house to the point where we would lose it if I failed I pulled out (same story with a possible management buy-out I was on the fringes of once). If you look at serial entrepreneurs they would have done this without a qualm. The various tie-in books to "Dragon's Den" are very interesting when you look at successful entrepreneur's backgrounds.


So back to the thread, I wish I'd known more about the psychology of personal motivations - I think I'd have been quite interested if that had been in my degree course.


To take this in a slightly different direction - this bother's me about this government's excitement about the "gig economy". My experience is that many (most?) engineers really don't want to be talking their way into a new job each week - although a few (with different backgrounds) love it, they're already the self employed consultants with flash cars we're all envious of!


Cheers, Andy