The 3 Types of Entrepreneur.
Meet The Dabbler, The Hacker, and The Obsessive.
I'm sure you have a few books on your shelf that have shaped how you think - pages dog-eared, margins filled with notes, passages you return to when you need perspective.
One of those books for me is Mastery by George Leonard. A mentor gave it to me while I worked in training and development at a Fortune 500 company, before starting Fore Folk. It remains essential reading for anyone pursuing personal growth while working toward mastery of any craft.
Leonard draws from his experience as a martial arts expert and his work as a coach and educator to offer a unique perspective on the process of mastering a skill. I thought it would be interesting to relate this to the different approaches people take to building businesses—and offer a few observations that might help you recognize your own patterns.
Meet the Dabbler
The Dabbler starts with enormous enthusiasm and loves the shine of newness. They love the rituals involved with getting started - buying supplies, setting up the new office, designing the perfect system. But they happily jump ship at the first sign of resistance.
They may have dozens of ideas but struggle to follow through. Many projects sit half-finished. They move from one exciting concept to another without ever going deep enough to master any of them.
If this sounds familiar:
Set specific goals (the SMART framework actually works here). Create a consistent practice to achieve them. Most importantly, work through your first real obstacle instead of abandoning ship.
When you inevitably drift off course - because you will - be kind to yourself. Recognize that you're drifting, then redirect. The pattern matters more than perfection.
The Hacker
The Hacker works hard but constantly searches for shortcuts instead of putting in the necessary time and depth. They do just enough to get by and hesitate to ask for help, often out of pride or the belief that they should be able to figure it out themselves.
This can look like a backlog of purchased courses never completed. Or someone who insists they "can do it all" but never develops real expertise in anything. This approach rarely leads to mastery and often creates more problems than it solves.
Usually, this stems from a lack of clear purpose - no north star guiding which skills actually matter.
If this sounds familiar:
Once you know what you're actually building toward, create a detailed plan that includes time to genuinely improve your skills - not just collect surface-level knowledge. Build in regular feedback or accountability. The quality of your foundation determines everything that follows.
And be honest about what you're avoiding by staying surface-level. Sometimes the shortcut is the problem.
The Obsessive
The Obsessive is consumed by the desire to achieve mastery. Results are what count, and they want them immediately. Second-best isn't an option. Moderation feels like weakness.
The unsustainability of this approach is probably why hustle culture is finally losing momentum. While intense focus can lead to rapid progress, it's also a direct road to burnout and imbalance in every other area of life.
We all know someone who stopped having a personal life because of their business. Who can't make time for the people they care about because there's always one more thing to optimize.
If this sounds familiar:
Remember that there will always be another goal waiting once you achieve this one. Success is infinitely more fulfilling when you have someone to share it with -and when you still recognize yourself when you get there.
The work will always be there. Your relationships, your health, your sense of self -those are finite. Protect them accordingly.
How to Apply This
Like any archetype model, you'll probably see yourself in all three at different times or in different areas of your work.
I recognize the Dabbler in myself when it comes to having too many ideas half-developed. I'm definitely the Hacker with my new beta - just wanting to get functional fast without mastering the depth. And, the obsessive rears its head as an actively recovering over-thinker…
Instead of identifying with only one type, ask yourself:
What skill actually needs mastering in my business right now?
In your current role—or the role you're working to create for yourself—is it more important to master marketing theory and color systems? Or would your time be better spent deepening your craft and understanding your clients more intimately?
Not everything you take on as a builder needs your absolute best effort. Some things can be good enough. Some things can be delegated or ignored entirely.
The question is: where does mastery actually matter? And where are you spending energy on mastery that doesn't serve what you're actually building?
Figure that out, and the path becomes clearer.
