I didn’t mean to write this article. I was trying to write about innovation types — and I will write about them someday — when I noticed that this article would be published on August 4. Today is the anniversary of the founding of Thinkergy, my innovation company. And in the flush of pleasure that Thinkergy is flourishing, I realized that I had to write a very different article.

Entrepreneurs are undervalued. Just a few years ago, a survey in my home country of Germany found that most people had a negative view of Unternehmer (“entrepreneurs”). Most German kids want to work for large, well-regarded corporations or as government officials when they grow up. Even though the majority of Germans work for small or medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs are still often seen as greedy, abusive oppressors. As a result, I never considered becoming an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs have a better reputation in Asia, but still, those in well-established organizations look down on fledgling entrepreneurs and their ventures. This condescension makes me angry because I believe that entrepreneurs should be respected, and celebrated. After all, it’s entrepreneurs who get things started and drive progress.

Who is an entrepreneur? The word ‘entrepreneur’ comes from a French word meaning ‘to undertake.’ Entrepreneurs are willing to undertake the risks associated with a new business venture. In the US, only 30% of start-ups are still in business after 10 years. Given that, no rational person would start a new business. That’s why we should admire those who are passionate, or crazy, enough to start a new venture, and wish them luck.

Entrepreneurs rock. The anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Every great corporation owes its existence to a few people who had the courage to start something new and accept the risk. That’s why, when we train innovators, we teach the participants about the people who took a risk and created the company that employs them. We do this to reconnect the employees to the company founders, and help them appreciate and emulate their creativity, courage, and drive.

One entrepreneur named Henri Nestlé started a company in 1866 that became the Nestlé we know today. His courage and hard work back then today provides for about 281,000 employees and their families, or about a million people.

Who started the organization you work for? What do you know about them? You owe them gratitude, for your job exists today because of their courage, hard work, and vision. Be sure to treat the entrepreneurs you meet with respect, as their work today may give jobs to your great-grandchildren. And pay them a fair price, and pay them promptly, lest they be forced out of business.

Celebrate entrepreneurial anniversaries. Many firms mark their date of incorporation as their anniversary. But a new business doesn’t start with an entry in a government registry. If you ask an entrepreneur, the real birthday was when the entrepreneur had the idea for the venture. “Everything begins with an idea,” said Earl Nightingale, and the power of an idea gives an entrepreneur the courage to break from the past, begin something new, and invest the hard work necessary for success.

We celebrate Thinkergy’s official foundation today, but the real birthday of Thinkergy is February 1. On that day in 2003, I was, somehow, called to a mission to create more innovators. I had this eureka moment while watching the sunset on the first day of the 4,700th Chinese Year, which was a Black Sheep Year. What more auspicious moment could there be for an innovation company full of black sheep whose role it is to be different and think differently?

Conclusion: A healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem is a vital driver of innovation, economic growth and employment. Take a moment today to appreciate the importance of entrepreneurs to the economy, and to give thanks for them.

© Dr. Detlef Reis 2011. This article was published in parallel in the Bangkok Post under the same title on 4 August 2011.