Professor of Entrepreneurship
Going down the entrepreneurial route is not something to be taken lightly. Typically, it starts from a passion. As well as the entrepreneurs themselves, this also applies to Hans Crijns, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Vlerick Business School for over 30 years. Over his career, he has personally got to know as many as 1,000 individual entrepreneurs – some fleetingly, others as friends, but all with their own unique story. In his new book Liefdesbrieven aan ondernemers (‘Love Letters to Entrepreneurs’), he shares 51 of these stories with us. You can take the book's title quite literally, as it serves as an engaging and compelling tribute to entrepreneurship in all its facets.
How is this book different from the others you have already written?
Hans Crijns: “Over my career, I have written quite a number of management books covering entrepreneurship and growth – Ondernemen met creativiteit (‘Creative Entrepreneurship’), De durf om te ondernemen (‘The Courage to do Business’), Groeimanagement (‘Growth Management’), etc. – all of which are more theoretical in nature. With this new book, I wanted to take a completely different approach. This work became very personal to me, hence my decision to adopt a letter-based format. In the book, you will seldom come across the term ‘strategy’, as it's not about management per se, but rather based on anecdotes and real-life stories provided by entrepreneurs I know. At the end of each story, I do connect it to the theory, although this is only secondary to the story itself. For example, I have written one letter to an entrepreneur regarding an acquisition they have made, warning them that ‘the thrill of the hunt may blind the hunter’. At the end of the letter, I then list the broader pros and cons of acquisitions.”
Author Hans Crijns, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Vlerick, explains what makes his new book so special, what the book is about and who should read this book.
If not a theoretical account, what is the book about?
Hans Crijns: “It's a truly diverse book, covering entrepreneurship in all its facets and phases. There are stories of men and women, start-ups and growth, from both high-tech and low-tech sectors, told by young and seasoned entrepreneurs alike, as well as purveyors of acquisitions. This is a book taken from life, with passion acting as the common thread through all of these tales and anecdotes. While the starting point may be entrepreneurship, the book ends up answering some of life’s big questions along the way. Take, for example, the letter entitled ‘Liefde helpt’ (‘Love Helps’). There is even one letter that deals with death. While each letter is as emotional as it is personal, I am equally positive and optimistic in my approach. I therefore consider myself not only a Professor of Entrepreneurship, but also a ‘Professor of Life’. That’s why I allow the letters to flow into each other in random order. Whilst I could have bundled them by topic –start-up, growth, acquisitions, etc. – life can't be compartmentalised like that.”
Who is the target audience, and what do you hope to achieve with this book?
Hans Crijns: “With this book, I am essentially addressing everyone from the ages of 14 to 94. While the most obvious target audience is entrepreneurs and managers, it would give me great pleasure if the book were also read by people outside the world of business. After all, this book is intended to provide an insight into the minds of entrepreneurs. Who are they? What is it they do? How do they think and act? Less than 10% of the population are entrepreneurs. While such individuals appear across various media platforms, I can show their more human side through these letters. Being an entrepreneur is not a job but a passion and a choice to take control of your own destiny. As a result, entrepreneurs often come across as irrational: while rational individuals adapt to the world around them, entrepreneurs seek to adapt the world to themselves. However, through the products and services they bring to market, they also create progress, jobs, wealth, etc. Without entrepreneurs, we would never have invented the wheel.”
Professor Hans Crijns explains what are - according to him - the three most important takeaways from his new book 'Liefdesbrieven aan ondernemers' (Love Letters to Entrepreneurs).
Finally, are there any plans for a sequel? After all, you surely must have a great many more stories up your sleeve.
Hans Crijns: “Originally, I had only planned to compile 50 stories. In the end, I stopped at 51 to indicate that I have so much more to tell, such as how to ‘go international’ or whether synthesis comes about via individual action. There are still so many topics I want to write about and so many entrepreneurs whose stories I wish to present. As such, I likely have enough material for a second, third and even fourth book. I'm actually already working on the follow-up, but... I'll be doing things a bit differently this time around.”
Practical information
Professor Hans Crijns’ Liefdesbrieven aan ondernemers (‘Love Letters to Entrepreneurs’) is published by LannooCampus and is priced at €34.99. Available in: Dutch.