From the book, “Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Thief” by Chris Cooper I’ve been a mentor for years. We currently have over 420 entrepreneurs in the TwoBrain family; over 2,000 have done a free call with me in person; and 20,000 purchased my first book, Two-Brain Business. Every single entrepreneur needs a 1:1 mentor, because no two businesses are identical. But entrepreneurs generally fall into four broad categories: Founder, Farmer, Tinker and Thief. We call these the Four Phases of Entrepreneurship. Which phase are you in? You can take the test here: www.twobrain.com/test Your phase isn’t determined by longevity. It’s determined by your profitability; your systems; your team; and your growth as a leader. Founders need different marketing strategies, branding and income than Farmers do. And Tinkers have completely different challenges. Every entrepreneur needs a mentor. And that mentor should offer education, advice and inspiration that’s specific to the entrepreneur’s needs RIGHT NOW. In the Founder phase, the entrepreneur leaps off the cliff with his big idea. His goal is simple: to survive. He opens his business. He buys his equipment and supplies. He signs the lease, the loan, and the letter of intent. He flips the open sign on the door. Then what? The Founder’s big idea might leverage a better life, but his labor is the fulcrum. And that’s understood by the Founder, who embraces the romantic ideal of the entrepreneur: poring over the books at midnight, a trace smear of flour or gym chalk on his tired face, pondering the next step up the ladder to success. #hustle #grind The Founder phase takes a heavy toll — physically exhausting, financially terrifying, and the largest strain on every personal relationship the Founder has. My job as mentor is to get the Founder out of the Founder phase as quickly as possible. Many businesses never survive this phase. The Farmer phase starts when the entrepreneur begins the shift from self-employed to ...
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