Does Entrepreneurial Experience Translate to the Corporate World

It just takes a whole different kind of person to make a corporate employee than it takes to make a self-managing entrepreneur. Corporate recruiters know and recognize that. Like Kelly Oliver said in her tweet, most of the times you can go from corporate employee to entrepreneur, but not the other way around.

This reminded me that I once heard someone saying (don't remember where, or I would link it) that Bill Gates (an obviously entrepreneurial person) was able to build a multi-billion company below him, but wouldn't be able to climb the corporate ladder in a big company like Microsoft. Sometimes I think people like him are able to build such companies exactly *because* they couldn't climb the corporate ladder.

Your post said that you've only been looking for two weeks. I don't think that is enough time to form an opinion.

And I'm surprised at some of the replies here. The problem may be that there are *many, many* talented people out there right now looking for work. I don't think that hiring managers are looking for the 'least common denominator' - they have plenty to choose from and are looking for the best. Its a buyer's market and will continue to be so for the rest of this year.

I think that you will find a position in the corporate world somewhere if that is what you want. There are plenty of companies that want smart, creative, energetic people to come and work for them. I submit that the challenge will be on your side to find a fit that works for you.

Great points Mark. Right now I am pursuing contract opportunities with companies to help them improve operations, i.e. making them more Agile and Lean. I have the fortune to be working with a great company here in Orlando for the next month doing just that.

Nick,
I wish I could say that Netflix lost me on the second slide, where they kick their hourly workers to the curb.
But Netflix' obnoxious online marketing tactics (popovers on interactive sections of AZCentral.com, the online arm of the AZ Republic newspaper and its various brands) had me lost, and a loyal anti-Netflix advocate, long ago. In fact, since the blame needs to be equally distributed, I will NEVER subscribe to the AZ Republic newspaper or do anything that produces revenue for that company (a Gannet lackey), or Netflix.
Back on topic, it really is a disgrace that a company that disenfranchises its hourly employees is held up as an example for other companies to follow. How sad.

Most people have low standards and only want to do the minimum that is required of them... At least that's what I can draw from my limited experience.

There are huge exceptions to the rule though, you just have to find them. For example, check out this TechCrunch post about Netflix and their corporate values:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/05/other-comp...

Thank you for the advice Steve. I am on ExpertCEO, and will start contributing more.

Hi Robert

you'll find everybody who has worked for themselves has experienced this problem when trying to re-enter the corporate world. Once anybody has worked for themselves they think differently and that scares the pants off the career pen pushers.

Meanwhile the skills and breadth of experience you've built up will actually be highly valued by CEOs and other senior managers charged with getting things to work properly.

For what it's worth I'd be inclined to look for opportunities in places where you can actually talk to the CEO, either smaller companies or larger ones you can network your way into the bosses office.

The other thing you might want to think about is using your agile plus business experience at targeting a different role, maybe project management (not necessarily IT related) or trouble shooting.

Best advice I can offer is stay away from the IT professionals and HR professionals and talk to business people.

They'll want to understand exactly where you're coming from and why so it wouldn't hurt to have a three line summary you can pitch on the phone or by email.

One last thought - try targeting the CEOs admin assistant or secretary (or whatever they're called in that part of the the world. Convince him/her you have something valuable for CEO ears only and you'll be in his/her office.

If you haven't already you might want to join ExpertCEO - There's a lot of west coast bossed who're members of that site. In theory you need to be a CEO to join.

Best of luck - Steve

Robert, you have tackled a big one today. So here goes my random thoughts.
In the corporate world, evaluating potential talent is a failure. They are very bad at it. It isn't that you would not do an excellent job but that the interviewers you have spoken to so far cannot see it. In the last few months I've been through a few interviews and I had to laugh to myself at some of the nonsense I heard.
It is almost impossible to really know what was going through their minds. Interviewers look at things in ways that you cannot understand. Your interviewer obviously had a narrow pattern he was looking for.

Some of them are scared to hire someone with too much leadership skills.

There is a better way to go about getting this job that you are looking for. Networking.

Thanks for the reply Ryan. Networking is the way that I am going. I'm exploring consulting opportunities with companies here in Orlando and San Fran. Ultimately I'm thinking that that's the best way to go.

I believe entrepreneurial experience does translate well to the corporate world. You will find that some companies value the passion, ambition, and create thinking that entrepreneurs like yourself bring to the table. On the other hand there are companies who are set in their ways and are scared to death of allowing someone to come in and shake things up a bit. So I do believe there are corporations out there who will value the skills you have gained outside of technical skills by running your own business. You just have not found that company yet. I wish you great luck in your search.

Twitter: @qlockett
www.cgthreesixty.com

Thanks for the comments Jim. I do agree with your points, and about over-qualification. When mediocrity becomes a norm, it's a sad state of affairs. I wouldn't be happy any place that maintains that as status quo.

I am also looking at contract opportunities. As for the other opportunities, I know how to start and run a lean web development business. I am speaking with a number of folks about working on a consulting basis, imparting what I have learned for their benefit.

You are finding the failure of corporate America. As an entrepreneur, you scare the bureaucrats and cube drones that can be found (and pitied, except that they put themselves there of their own free - albeit brainwashed - will) in every large-scale corporate office.
In the realm of development, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Do you want your projects done right, or to the lowest common denominator? You will find some low denominators in a corporate environment, just lurking there in the shadows for years, biding time and cashing that paycheck.
Your corporate interviewers know that you have high personal standards and high personal capabilities. They also understand the doubts in their own minds about the people in their organization (or themselves) in regards to standards and capabilities. It sounds a lot like the old crock "you are over-qualified."
But you are over qualified. You are qualified to lump it and strike out on your own, and to be successful at it. You've done it before. Knowing that statements about overqualification could be debated on its merits, a meritless argument, such as "our developers are different" gets trotted out in its place.
I wish you luck. I hate to see an entrepreneur swallowed by the corporate life-sucking blob, but it is your choice, and I don't know all of the circumstances of your decision.
However, let me tell you about the Start Up Now workshop we had last week. We had an IT exec, project manager type; an IT exec, business type, and a Six Sigma Black Belt from a technology company. I asked them if they could imagine a market space or an industry where the level of rigor and the approach to work and workflow they have would be revolutionary? Once you get out of tech and manufacturing, the rigor and process that you, or the Black Belt, find natural is completely revolutionary. And an opportunity.
Are there any opportunities for you outside the 'confines' of "Agile Developer" and "Agile Coach?"