The History of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is an ancient activity that appeared 8,500 years ago. Since that time entrepreneurs have used unique knowledge, technology, hedonistic delights, and relationships with elites to change what populations desire and consider acceptable behavior. Their accumulation of wealth, status, and well-being has put entrepreneurs in constant tension with whomever controls a society. Understanding how entrepreneurs, sometimes as individuals, but mostly as groups, have impacted our history is a key to understanding when and how societies can count on them to help solve the problems that plague us all.