Unveiling the Entrepreneurial Mindset: A New Approach to Education

Entrepreneurial competencies

Bridging the gap in entrepreneurial education, our newly developed framework, comprising 15 principal competencies, offers universities a comprehensive tool to intentionally cultivate the entrepreneurial mindset. This innovative tool ensures a targeted, nuanced approach to fostering entrepreneurship, replacing hopeful coverage with intentional teaching.

Note: from this introduction page you can click through to our interactive framework where you may explore all the principal competencies and their sub-competencies. You are also able to download a pdf of the full framework from there.

Certain competencies distinguish the mindset of the successful entrepreneur

The entrepreneurial landscape, ever-changing and thrilling, is a captivating world of possibilities and challenges. At its heart lie certain competencies and capabilities that constitute the quintessential entrepreneurial mindset. It is these traits that often distinguish a successful founder and their venture. Moreover, even for those not intending to delve into entrepreneurship, these characteristics can prove invaluable. They are sought after by corporates and organizations alike, underscoring their broader relevance.

Understanding these competencies allows us to know what and how to teach entrepreneurship

As educators vested in the realm of entrepreneurial pedagogy, the comprehension of these competencies becomes crucial. It serves two fundamental purposes: it enlightens us on what to teach, and perhaps more importantly, how to teach it. The competencies, a blend of cognitive and non-cognitive elements, are not merely subjects to be communicated but traits to be nurtured. A deeper understanding of these elements provides us with a robust metric to gauge the efficacy of our educational programs in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset.

A framework to help design, develop and measure programs has remained elusive

Indeed, significant work has already been undertaken in this sphere. Noteworthy examples include Saras Sarasvathy’s exploration of “effectuation,” the European Union’s EntreComp framework, and the initiatives by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NTFE). Yet, despite these substantial efforts, a comprehensive framework catering to the unique requirements of designing, developing, and implementing high experiential programs remains elusive.

“Standing on the shoulders of giants” we have developed a framework for program designers

Addressing this gap, we have synthesized our experiences and insights from existing research to develop a set of 15 principal competencies, each supported by several sub-competencies. The product of rigorous research, partially funded by an EU-based Higher Education Initiative, this framework promises a nuanced and holistic approach to entrepreneurial education.

We invite you to use this framework in your programs

We extend an invitation to universities developing and implementing entrepreneurial programs to utilize our work. Whether these programs form part of the accredited curriculum or are extra-curricular initiatives like accelerators or incubators, the framework can prove beneficial. Of course, the complexity and extensiveness of the framework mean it may not be fully covered by all programs, especially shorter ones. However, the framework enables educators to consciously choose which competencies to focus on, replacing reliance on hopeful coverage with targeted teaching.

Let us reshape entrepreneurial education together

Discover our framework at Mashauri Entrepreneurial Competency Framework  (MecFrame ) and join us on this exciting journey to reshape entrepreneurial education. We hope that, through deliberate design based on our framework, we can collectively nurture future entrepreneurs, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and mindset they need to succeed.

The incredible story of Jan Koum, co-founder of Watsapp.

Jan Koum, at the age of 41 is a billionaire and #48 in the Forbes 400 wealthiest people in America.

But did you know he arrived in the US at the age of 10 with his mother and grandmother who were basically penniless and needed state assistance to get a small apartment? He swept floors to help his mother pay the bills. His mother died of cancer when he was 24 and he also suffered the loss of his father (who never made it across from the Ukraine).

Being of Jewish descent in the Ukraine, in the 70’s and 80’s most communication was monitored by the state. When he was in the US and his father in the Ukraine, it was really expensive to contact him. These are two of the factors that played a role in wanting to develop something like Watsapp (inexpensive, secure communications). And that was the product that took him from penniless to a billionaire when he eventually sold to Facebook for $19 billion!

Want to learn more? Then listen to Vijay Peduru’s podcast (part of his excellent Amazing Founders Stories series) on Jan Koums journey (or check out Anna Vitals infographic on his life below).

Click on the link and be inspired!!!!

Amazing Founders Stories

 

This infographic from the wonderful Anna Vital traces his story

Jan Kims journey by Anna Vital's infographic
F&F infographic from Vital

At Mashauri, we provide acceleration platforms to universities to allow them to give experiential entrepreneurial education to their students where they get to build their own new ventures as they learn how. Contact simon.gifford@mashauri.org for more information