Over the last few years, I've been heavily involved in the fast-growing startup scene in the St. Louis area. My wife manages a startup incubator, and I owned my own startup before taking a role as vice president of entrepreneurship for my county economic development agency. I deeply admire people who are brave enough to start their own businesses. It isn't easy -- in fact, it's the hardest thing I've ever done.
It's so hard that succeeding at starting your own business can result in overconfidence. It isn't uncommon for successful founders, or even aspiring ones, to believe that the skills and lessons that come with entrepreneurship can be applied to any problem society faces.
Image: Elon Musk and his companies have received almost $5 billion in financial support from governments at all levels. (TNS/Los Angeles Times/Lawrence K. Ho)
