I would actually think that someone with a Buddhist streak would be better as an entrepreneur than someone who thought that you’d have to be harder, better, faster, stronger 24/7. Buddhism respects reality and letting go. A lot of the so called business minded people of today have detached themselves from reality and go for the image instead of actual content. They also stress themselves out by trying to be something that they’re not. There are limits to growth and capabilities.

Why would you have to force yourself to be something different, when you could just naturally do what you’re good at and allow people to enjoy your knowledge and labor? You don’t have to be the absolute best and biggest in your own niche to be comfortable and bring in enough money to support a family. Regardless of whether you work directly with consumers or do B2B, you are still doing business with people, and I think that Buddhism would give you some wonderful people skills. As well as stress management skills! People will come to you and praise about you, if you leave them feeling good. A great product will succeed if people like it. If they don’t like it, then you’ll need to find out why and improve on it. That’s just respecting the reality and not going against it.

We all have to make a living one way or another. That’s not the same as obsessing over making more money than someone else.

Steve Jobs was a practicing Zen Buddhist and he did alright in the business world 🙂 Apparently Russell Simmons isn’t a Buddhist, but a yoga practitioner, but I think he has also this interesting vibe to him, and he’s a pretty successful entrepreneur.

I’m not an expert, but I would think that the sweet spot is in accepting reality and not trying to create a false image of one’s own abilities, as well as not obsess over being better (or worse). You don’t have to be the best to be a success in business, and you don’t have to be the richest person to support your family. Going with the flow might bring you something that the modern business practices you speak of might never be able to do. In fact I have this feeling that things are going to change in the future, because we can’t continue the way we are at the moment. But time will tell 🙂