Some of the most interesting concepts developed by specialists, regardless of the field in which they work, are derived from existing ones, but explore a completely new, innovative direction, which absolutely no one had thought of before. Such is the case of American author and inventor Gifford Pinchot, who coined the term "intrapreneur" in 1985. But what does intrapreneur mean and, in particular, why do so many employees tend, more or less consciously, towards this status, which is both privileged and fascinating? Browse the following lines to find out and let yourself be inspired by them, giving yourself the chance of a new direction in your career!

What does intrapreneur mean? Unlike an entrepreneur, an... intrapreneur is an employee of a company, developing new ideas, projects, products and services within the company, which lead to the success of the business, from all points of view (financial, notoriety, etc.), in the medium and long term. The really exciting part, as you have probably already realised, is that anyone can take on this role, in turn, working both as part of a team and on their own, for more than the usual benefits (salary, bonuses, etc.). In other words, such a professional possesses a vision similar to that of a business owner and has the ability to see "the bigger picture".

Of course, an... entrepreneur who does not understand what intrapreneur means cannot support the emergence and growth of such experts within his organization. The latter needs greater autonomy, flexibility, lack of rigid deadlines and rigorous control from superiors, in order to be able to quietly shape, both literally and figuratively, the ideas that will lead to his and the company's parallel evolution. Here is a comparative table between the two functions mentioned above, showing the similarities and the considerable differences between them:

What does intrapreneur VS entrepreneur mean

• Definition - an employee working on an innovative project or own idea within a company VS a self-employed professional building a new business with their own resources;
  
• Purpose - increasing the competitiveness of the organization VS creating a product/service with socio-economic value;
• Mode of operation - operates within the organization VS operates outside of an existing company;
• Motivation - freedom to innovate, support and incentives from the organisation VS passion, independence, financial gain;
• Support - from superiors in own company VS from venture capital funds;
• Risks - limited risks VS vulnerability to all types of risk;
• Independence - limited, need for approvals and decisions made collaboratively VS total independence;
• Focus - serves its organization and its own goals VS primarily serves customers etc.;
• Time bound - the organisation sets certain deadlines VS no time limit.​

In conclusion, if you have or want to learn, for example in our trainings, leadership skills, adaptability, high resistance to change and more inspiration in decision making, you can certainly follow the path of... intrapreneurship, which can be considered a kind of "safety net" entrepreneurship. Of course, it's just the beginning, and your career may reach new heights soon. Good luck!