You can read about young entrepreneurs starting new companies or raising millions of dollars in venture capital on a daily basis. For parents who dream about their kids becoming entrepreneurs, these articles reinforce the stereotype of ambitious dropouts and instant dot-com millionaires. While the promise of fame and fortune is alluring, the question remains, "Can a parent raise a child to be an entrepreneur, and why would they even want to?”
I think the answer is no. By definition, the path to becoming a "professional" is more structured than the path to becoming an "entrepreneur." If you want to become a doctor, for example, you get into a good college, do well in school, ace your MCAT and write a great application. If you want to become an in vestment banker, you work hard in college, attain a great internship and ace your interview. Since there are no structured paths to becoming an entrepreneur, it's hard to set your child on the right path. I believe, however, that there are qualities and characteristics that you can instill in your child over the course of his or her youth that will help prepare him or her for the risky, emotionally draining, economically irrational and statistically doomed decision to become an Internet entrepreneur.
My son, Rich Aberman, was recently listed as one of Businessweek's Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs Under 30. When he told me three years ago that he was going to drop out of law school to found an online payments business — WePay — I thought he was joking. And, at first, I was very against the decision. However, I believe that I prepared Rich for the challenges he has faced by nurturing and guiding him so he could reach his full potential. I think some children are born with the natural...
