Entrepreneurship Is Not an Adventure, But Engineering!

• When Chaos Becomes a Method

In an increasingly complex world, entrepreneurship is often seen as a leap into the unknown, a rule-defying adventure. Young people are frequently told, “Start your project, don’t be afraid, risk is part of success!” But through my extensive experience in training, learning, and practicing entrepreneurship across various aspects of life—from work to the tiniest details—I see things from a completely different perspective. Entrepreneurship is not creative chaos, but precise engineering! It’s not an adventure, but a design! Not a leap, but a gradual construction.

When I began designing a training program for computer engineering students titled “Engineering Success,” the goal wasn’t to teach them how to take risks, but how to think like engineers while building their entrepreneurial projects. Each session had clear objectives, practical tools, and interactive activities that simulated real-life scenarios. Entrepreneurship, as we presented it, was a practiced science—not a stroke of luck waiting to happen!

• From Randomness to Design

An entrepreneur doesn’t walk in the dark—they draw their roadmap, even if it’s incomplete. In one training session, I asked participants to design a prototype for a tech project that serves the local community. The challenge wasn’t in the idea itself, but in the ability to analyze needs, define value, and test assumptions. Here, entrepreneurship transformed into engineering:

• Problem analysis = Site survey
• Solution design = Initial blueprint
• Prototype testing = Material experimentation
• Model refinement = Design improvement Just as an engineer works in their workshop, the entrepreneur works in their market!

• Entrepreneurial Tools Are No Less Precise Than Engineering Tools

In our project “Hawsa w Noss,” which aimed to redesign a traditional service in an innovative way, we didn’t rely on enthusiasm alone! We used audience analysis tools, user experience design, and resource planning. Every step was calculated and meticulously planned. From choosing the location to designing the visual identity, from building the team to managing the budget, from testing the idea to launching the prototype… This wasn’t an adventure—it was social and economic engineering, built on understanding, planning, and experimentation.

• Unconventional Engineering

Entrepreneurship is a special kind of engineering:

• Engineering opportunities—how they’re discovered and shaped
• Engineering value—how it’s created and delivered
• Engineering teams—how they’re built and motivated
• Engineering growth—how it’s planned and managed All these elements require engineering thinking, in the language of markets, people, and change!

• Entrepreneurship as a Way of Life

When we train young people in entrepreneurship, we don’t train them to be adventurers—we train them to think methodically, design consciously, and make informed decisions. We train them to be engineers of their lives, not just wanderers on an uncharted path. Entrepreneurship is not a leap—it’s a construction. Not chaos—but engineering! And anyone who wants to make an impact must master the art of design before igniting the spark of passion!