Awesome topic.
I consider myself a soft-core entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is not the same thing as a business owner IMO. I know lots of business owners who don't have an entrepreneurial bone in their body...including most second generation business owners...and that's ok.
I think entrepreneurs tend to be dreamers, opportunists, optimists, risk takers and naturally evaluate things in terms of how to monetize a concept and how to make something out of nothing. They inevitably flirt with new concepts, new products, ideas and expansion. They're first-movers on new ideas. Less deterred by failure because they are like moths to light with new ideas. It's more about the starting up and realizing the vision than it is the ongoing management that pulls them forward. A business owner could be a fabulously successful operator and very wealthy, big, etc. yet still not be very entrepreneurial.
I've been in business continually since I was 22 and haven't been employed by someone else since early university over 25 years ago. I've founded or co-founded 5 different incorporated marketing companies (In the start-up phase of the 5th now). Self-employment is really all I know and while I'm fearless of self-employment (after all these years), I'm actually fearful of what I perceive to be the restrictions of being employed.
I've had the opportunity to work with literally hundreds of clients over the years. From new startups with nothing but debt to multi-billion dollar global companies and lucky me, I get to deep-dive inside the boss's head pretty much every time. I'm pretty sure I've seen inside the kimono of every type of entrepreneur...viewed through the lenses of my own biases of course.
Lastly, many employees...ok some...are very entrepreneurial.
