Yes, I am a Founder - a builder.

When I introduce myself as a startup founder, I often get asked: “So what is your idea?” When I respond: “I am not the idea-type of an entrepreneur”, there is usually a long pause… A question follows: “Aren’t entrepreneurs those who have an idea pursue it relentlessly?"

I knew I was an entrepreneur as early as 19 years of age when I was selling OJ and bagels door-to-door. Yet throughout my career, I have encountered this doubt-inducing conversation many times. Despite having three startups under my belt, none of the ideas originated from me. So if I am not the idea-person, am I an entrepreneur at all?

In reality, what do we do when we launched a startup? We start with an idea, and we dive into figuring out how to prove to ourselves that someone would actually want it. The excitement of building begins...What would be the simplest, fastest, cheapest way to test interest from potential users? What could be the “pre-product” product you could quickly build and put in front of potential users? What can you measure? How can you talk to as many people as possible to get feedback?

You get it done once, and you learn something - and then you do it all over again. And it’s in that grind of daily listening, building, adjusting, listening again, making small changes, noticing something new, making trade-offs on what you will or won’t include - it’s in that focused daily grinding work is how you arrive at an actual product that users value.

This is what I call building. It is the essential step that transforms an idea into an actual product. Building is complex, and often requires opposite skills. On one hand, you need to listen to potential customers, while on the other hand, you need to know when to forgo a feature they asked for. It demands humility to pay attention to even the smallest nuances, yet enough conviction and strength to move forward.

For me, building is my identity as an entrepreneur. It's this ongoing, focused grind of listening, adjusting, and making small changes that results in a product of real value to users. While the original idea serves as inspiration, it's the relentless pursuit of defining the product's value that truly turns it into reality.

So am I an entrepreneur? Absolutely. Not the conventional idea type, but the builder type.

Products I create often evolve substantially from their initial concepts. It's the dedication to building and refining that drives me, making me a builder-driven entrepreneur.