As requested by my readers, this article will cover topics related to entrepreneurial endeavors. Although this is only my second article of this kind, I have already written a blog post that discusses the potential risks of attempting to take on too many projects simultaneously (which is often referred to as “dabbling”).
Today I want to share something different with my readers that I am sure they will find interesting. Unfortunately, due to my side hustle commitments, I haven’t been able to write any new blog posts recently. The following post was first published on Medium on February 6, 2023. It is worth mentioning that if you use the following link to read this article and you are already a Medium subscriber, I will earn a small commission. It might be only a few pennies but it’s better than earning nothing at all. This article is behind a paywall on Medium but I want to make it available for everyone to read.
♡ Medium Article: 6 Telltale Signs of a Wantrepreneur

How to identify a wantrepreneur from an entrepreneur
(っ◔V◔)っ Serious Question: Are you looking to sharpen your skills and become a successful entrepreneur?
If you are a hobby blogger, Medium writer, freelancer, etc. it is important to differentiate a wantrepreneur from a genuine entrepreneur. Who knows — you might be a wantrepreneur, but you haven’t quite realized it yet, or perhaps you’ve noticed that the person you thought was an aspiring entrepreneur is more hype than substance. It could be that the people who keep popping up in your Twitter DMs are genuine people with a passion for business but are taking all the wrong steps to make it work.
Despite having just started my journey of becoming an accidental entrepreneur earlier this month, it has become increasingly clear to me that there is a growing trend of individuals who aspire to become entrepreneurs, especially within the online space. This trend appears to be gaining traction and continues to draw more people in everyday. Unfortunately, most of these individuals tend to be all talk and no action; I have rarely witnessed any tangible results from them.

What is a “wantrepreneur” anyway?
A wantrepreneur is someone who boasts of grand plans but fails to take any tangible action or steps towards achieving their goals. Such people talk a lot but fail to commit or put in the effort required to turn their dreams into reality. Despite seeming to be successful, they are actually not progressing and merely treading water.
Identifying a wantrepreneur can be a tricky endeavor due to their ability to mask their true intentions. To ensure that you don’t get deceived by a wanna-be entrepreneur, it pays to be aware of the signs and red flags. This quick list will help you easily recognize if someone is pretending to be an entrepreneur:

6 Telltale Signs of a Wantrepreneur
- They make big promises but don’t follow through. Wantrepreneurs often make grandiose promises but fail to follow through on them. They may talk about huge ideas and big plans but never actually produce anything tangible. If someone is always talking about their next big thing but never seems to actually get it done, then they’re probably a wantrepreneur.
- They don’t take feedback well. Wantrepreneurs tend to be defensive when it comes to criticism and feedback. They’re often unwilling to take advice from others and can be overly sensitive to any constructive criticism. On WordPress, I frequently observe a certain level of insecurity and fragility among bloggers with regard to their work.
- They focus on the short term. Wantrepeneurs are often focused on making decisions that will yield short-term gains, regardless of the potential implications in the long run. These decisions may be more lucrative in the short term but can have a negative impact on their overall business goals and objectives.
- They don’t invest in themselves. Wantrepreneurs often rely on free resources and don’t invest in themselves or in their business. They may not be willing to put money into courses, books, or other resources that can help them become more successful in the long run. If you are serious about starting a business, then investing in yourself is essential.
- They don’t take action. Wantrepeneurs may talk a big game, but when it comes to taking real action, they are often found lacking. They may post interesting articles and content online but rarely do they take the necessary steps needed to actually grow their business. They might have grand ambitions and ideas, however, without any tangible action those will never come to fruition.
- They don’t set clear goals. Many wantrepreneurs fail to set clear objectives and goals for themselves and their enterprise, resulting in a lack of direction and a lack of vision. As a result, they can find it difficult to achieve any tangible results despite putting in countless hours of hard work, as all that effort is being put towards something that is not well-defined or thought out.
(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥
It’s crucial to be aware of the six telltale signs of a wantrepreneur in order to avoid getting caught in the same process. If you recognize any of these traits in yourself, other bloggers, Medium writers, etc., it might be time to take a step back and reassess. Becoming a successful entrepreneur requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Thus, it is important to focus on the long-term and take action to make your dreams a reality.
Did you relate to any of my points? Be sure to join the discussion in the comments section below ↓ If you’d like to access more of my writings, head over to my Medium profile. Are you curious to learn about my new side hustle? Come and take a look! 👀
➤ Click here to visit my Redbubble shop 🐈⬛💕

Very accurate depiction in a world where everyone “owns a business” lol. I’ve no desire to run a company. I did the upper management thing before, it doesn’t align with my personality traits. 😅 I’m much more comfortable finding an organization I believe in and making their lives easier.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Brian! 🙂 Honestly, I am not sure if POD is considered running a company – I am more of the middle man, er, person. I send them designs and customers find my designs, purchase merch, and for each sale I get a little commission. So far, I have made some sales so I take it as a sign from the universe to keep going. 🙏✨
Personally, I don’t want to be labeled as an entrepreneur even though I referred to myself as an “accidental entrepreneur” in this blog post. I don’t think of myself as a business owner or entrepreneur, nor do I want to be one lol The thought of that sounds awful. Although a lot of people preach about how great it is starting a business, I don’t think I am one of those people who is cut out for it either. 😅
I think you fit the technical definition of a company with what you do but I understand why it doesn’t feel like it. You’re a far cry from people who just write a company name on their LinkedIn and then never do anything, though haha
Oh okay, that’s good to know! I don’t have business cards or anything. Just word-of-mouth and Twitter. Yeah, a lot of people will stretch the truth to make themselves look better than they actually are, especially on LinkedIn and Facebook.
You’re right there are many entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs out there and it’s important to know the difference. For me, the biggest sign is them making huge plans and not following through. Real entrepreneurs know that’s not how it works. I feel like a lot of the MLM people are wantrepreneurs lol.
MLM is really bad. When I still used IG, it was overly saturated with MLM’ers trying to sell me something. Also, I noticed that a lot of freelancers/copyrighters seem to be wantrepreneurs. I noticed them popping up everywhere lately, especially on Twitter. But when you take a deeper dive, you’ll notice that they haven’t made any sales or built anything substantial. If they haven’t failed yet or closed down their businesses yet, it’s just a matter of time before they do.
Yeah, like half of IG is just MLM people lol. I’m not on Twitter much so haven’t seen those yet. But I know the type.
There’s so many terms for the same definition and type of person. While I don’t want to make any money off of my crafts, I have the personality traits of a wantrepreneur. Some of that is that the person wants something but they don’t want the work or they like attention for doing something but it’s not what they want to do. That’s only up to them to stop doing what makes them popular and do what they want to do. Something also about money.
This is fascinating and totally makes sense!!! “Wantrepreneur” is a cool spin off the word “entrepreneur”! I work from home, and the startup company I work for is definitely a good example of an entrepreneur – long term goals, open to feedback, crystal-clear goals, very action-based…🙌