Throughout history, we have seen prophets, kings, commanders, explorers, scientists/inventors, storytellers, technologists display entrepreneurial traits required to be successful in promoting their worldview and vision.

Entrepreneurship is living a few years like most people won’t so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t. It’s defined as setting up an organization, taking on risks in the hope of an outcome. The leader is the entrepreneur but many have entrepreneurial traits. Pursuing entrepreneurship is a privilege, it requires sacrifice & opportunity, but it’s nothing new: individuals who’ve demonstrated such traits over time include prophets, kings, commanders, explorers, scientists/inventors, storytellers, technologists. Today kids don’t grow up wanting to be doctors, lawyers or bankers, most want to be entrepreneurs or with the rise of social media, creators/storytellers. We hear of successful entrepreneurs once they’ve “made it,” but there’s no such thing as an overnight success. They’re years in the making.
You need vision, ambition, persistence, execution, luck, timing, focus & resilience. 

There’s an African proverb that states “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” As such, the most successful entrepreneurs understand the need to convince the masses to join their mission, or how they want to execute on their vision.

The following isn’t intended to be a religious observation; it’s more about people, human nature & leaders. 

Growing up secular, religion was something I’d read about in history books. To me, as someone who studied history at a very young age, the first time I learned of these prophets, they were ultimately just great leaders of their time who found a way to convince the masses to embrace better ways to live and co-exist.

Prophets were real, actual historical figures who surveyed the landscape and then shared their vision to win over the masses. Before science could explain life’s phenomena, it is understandable that people would turn to religion to solve & explain life’s many unknowns. It’s not that dissimilar to more recent entrepreneurs seeing what has yet to be “conquered” and set off on their life’s work.

When I studied prophets like Zartosht (aka Zoroaster/Zarathustra) who founded Zoroastrianism & influenced the monotheistic religions, to me it wasn’t so much that “God spoke to him” (no blasphemy intended here, I have always looked up to these leaders regardless of the fates they promoted) but rather that he was a leader who had a vision for how people should live and so he introduced those concepts and principles to others. 

It’s easier to make this point with Zoroaster, because Zoroastrianism’s popularity has lessened since Islam conquered Iran, but the observation does in theory apply to others: 

– Moses’ Ten Commandments was also IMHO not necessarily the words of God, but a vision that a leader like Moses would want his followers to adopt. The tenets to not steal, covet thy neighbor’s wife etc. were reasonable principles to avoid mayhem within communities. In an era predating countries & borders, religion allowed people to develop a kinship, but over time, religion led to rife and disunity.

– Jesus is an altogether different story in that some claim him to be the son of God, while others claim him to be God – again suggesting that leaders with integrity, character, morals, principles ultimately aimed for the betterment of mankind, and telling people that they were conduits of a greater, higher, divine power was easier to pull off than saying “listen to me.” 

After all, when I, a mere mortal in 2025 want to make a point, I don’t just say “this is my POV” but instead use previous examples and case studies. I am effectively first a historian and biographer, then gravitated to entrepreneurship.

– Mohammed was undoubtedly one of the most influential leaders of all time and Muslims believe that God spoke to him. While that certainly could be possible, it is also possible that he was a nomadic ruler with a sincere desire to improve their daily life of his cohabitants.

Mohammad recognized previous prophets Moses, Jesus etc. but also stated that he was God’s last prophet, making all future such leaders somewhat DOA.

But it’s noteworthy that when Alexander the Great (who predated Jesus and Mohammad) conquered Egypt, he was seen as a demigod. Today, to quote Scott Galloway, we worship at the altar of innovation and youth, versus character or kindness – which is what the prophets emphasized. Over time, their message got hijacked by thosee seeking gaining and vanity… losing religion’s effect and influence as society turned their adulation to new leaders.