Being an entrepreneur is a risky business, and as such it certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. However, an email thread circling 3tera today shed a little light on one aspect of our character that I hadn’t seen before.

Tomorrow being the 4^th of July, the thread started out innocently enough wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday. With each “reply all” though, the thread took on a new twist, talking more about fireworks and what we used to enjoy as kids. In the end the thread was about how to make explosions from safe-and-sane fireworks (or other items). In other words, how to break the law. Turns out more than a few folks had ways to make things go bang.

Of course, it isn’t surprising that a bunch of entrepreneurs are willing to take risks for fun. However, I wonder if it’s a requirement. Are all entrepreneurs rule breakers? Is that part of why we build companies instead of going to work for established firms? Is the excitement of seeing your system go live for the first time the same as watching that firework explode?

I’m no psychologist, but I think they are related. Accomplishing what others say “can’t be done” is exciting. And IMHO it is related to the elation of that exploding fire cracker you weren’t supposed to have. So as you’re celebrating tomorrow and hear the din of firecrackers, perhaps you’re listening to the job training of the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.