December 14, 2009

Some people just love coming up with a new idea and pursuing it from scratch. We all know the type. These classic entrepreneurs love to sit back and recall their “many companies.” Failed attempts and false starts just add to their track record. More than anything else, they are motivated by novelty. Some are even agnostic to which industry. They just love starting new things – and building one company after another.

And then there are others (like me) who are driven more by a particular mission than by the rush of starting something new. These mission-driven entrepreneurs have started something new out of necessity. As I reflect on the founding years of Behance, the thought of starting all over again turns my stomach into knots. What I enjoy most now is the prospect of growing a business and inching towards a mission, year after year of hard work.

There is a general assumption that a “real entrepreneur” is a serial entrepreneur – someone who’s M.O. is to always be generating ideas and starting new businesses. I disagree. I think the motivation to start something from scratch – and endure the tremendous hardships and late nights associated with such bold aspirations – can come from either a love of the game or a solid sense of purpose.

I don’t think one is better than the other. But we should all take a personal inventory to know where we stand. As investors, potential employees, or founders, we should know the difference.

***This article is based on research by Behance CEO Scott Belsky, whose book, Making Ideas Happen, will be published by Penguin in April 2010. Behance runs the Behance Creative Network, the 99% productivity think thank, the Action Method project management application, and the Creative Jobs List.