When I saw this question, my first thoughts were as follows. Looking at these, not sure if they're exactly on point, but they sure do reveal a bit about my thinking.<p>* When I see a problem, I can’t help but fix it.<p>* Inefficient processes piss me off. I instinctively start thinking of better solutions.<p>* I love shortcuts and using system to my advantage.<p>* I get a kick out of being resourceful and coming up with duck-tape solutions.<p>* I enjoy doing a different thing each day and look forward to challenges and crises.<p>* I want to make the calls – more than that, and I want to be responsible for any bad decisions.<p>* I need to make a difference in the world.<p>[See also: http://euwyn.com/2009/11/12/why-do-you-want-to-be-an-entrepreneur/]
Originally, simply to get food on the table.<p>Now after having done this for 20+ years simply because I can't imagine living life without this freedom.<p>It's addictive. There were years when I probably could have made more money by taking the jobs that were offered, but none of them was ever even close to tempting.
I suck at being a cog in the machine and I don't have any ambition to stop sucking at it.<p>Where I have had responsibility for something and some freedom for how I handle it, the rubrics I use get generally better results than most of what I see around me. Having had very positive experiences with that, it's hard to accept the mediocrity of most other environments.<p>I would also be healthier.<p>I also think I would make a lot more money. My current income is inadequate to my needs so that matters.