Ken Dyck is local programmer and blogger. I check his blog on a fairly regular basis because he reads some websites that I don't usually get to, and filters out the good stuff. A posting of Ken's from June 2005 however, was much more than a pointer to another website. Ken interviewed a local businessman, Phil Rittenhouse owner of Laurel Creek Software. Here's a few snippets...

I have always wanted to have my own company but I've never been willing to take a big gamble to make it happen. Precision Tile offered the opportunity to start small and still keep my day job. As fate would have it, when I was just about to hit the point where I had to decide between the two, my employer was bought out, and I was given a nice severance package. It was the perfect opportunity to get Laurel Creek Software off the ground.

I find the freedom to make decisions very rewarding. I don't have to worry about any red tape or bureaucracy. If I think something needs to be done, I do it. I also get to make mistakes, which I have found is not such a bad thing. I get to learn from my mistakes, but even more important it means I can also take risks. Taking a calculated risk and having it pay-off is very gratifying.

There are a lot of ways to be an entrepreneur, so don't be afraid to choose a path other than the "big idea-big venture capital-big IPO" path that you always hear about.

I don't want to steal Ken's thunder, so go to his site and read the interview yourself.

BTW Ken... interviewing local business people. What a great idea!