Research

Research & Background about Entrepreneurs and the EPT test.   

 

The Entrepreneur Profile Test (EPT) is a research-based tool grounded in academic insights and practical observations.

Its story began during Stefan Lindström’s time at Boston University’s Entrepreneurial Institute in 2005, where he gained inspiration from discussions, studies, and a book that included the five archetypes of entrepreneurs from the MIT Enterprise Forum—a gift from Pete Russo, who at the time was Director of the Entrepreneurial Institute at Boston University School of Management.

Upon returning to Sweden, while lecturing on entrepreneurship in 2007, he was asked by a moderator whether more archetypes might exist. This question highlighted something Lindström had already sensed—that there were entrepreneurial traits that did not fit neatly into the original five archetypes. This realization became the embryo of the sixth archetype and led him to reflect deeply and refine his ideas. Over two years of refinement, he developed the concept of a sixth archetype—’The Workstyle Entrepreneur’—which he formally presented at the International Conference on Thinking (ICOT) in 2009, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

The Academic Foundation and Development of the EPT: This section provides background on the studies that influenced the EPT and details its ongoing refinement.

The Six Entrepreneurial Archetypes:

  1. The Starter: Visionary creators who launch and build new ventures.
  2. The Professional: Entrepreneurs who apply expertise to create structured businesses.
  3. The Serial: Driven individuals who build multiple businesses over time.
  4. The Innovator: Pioneers who develop novel solutions and groundbreaking products.
  5. The Lifestyle: Entrepreneurs focused on aligning their businesses with personal lifestyle goals.
  6. The Workstyle: The archetype introduced by Lindström, is characterized by entrepreneurial behavior that integrates work-life balance with high productivity and autonomy.

 

Unique Features of the EPT:

  • Response Congruence: The EPT measures response congruence in percentages (rounded to the nearest 5% or 10%), indicating how consistently an individual responds across different sections of the test.
  • Behavioral Analysis: Unlike traditional personality tests, the EPT incorporates both a personality profile and an entrepreneurial behavior profile.

 

Research Publications and Presentations:

Contextual Understanding of Entrepreneurship: An entrepreneur is more than just a business owner. Entrepreneurs are action-oriented individuals who identify opportunities, manage risks, gather resources, and implement their visions. They often display high autonomy, anti-conformity, and visionary thinking.

The EPT as a Behavioral Test: While the EPT measures entrepreneurial traits, it also emphasizes self-awareness—understanding one’s character, motivations, and behaviors. This makes the EPT valuable not only in entrepreneurship education but also in recruitment and organizational development.

It is important to remember that the results of a behavioral analysis do not say anything about who you are. EPT gives a picture of how your behavior in different situations can be compared. This in the context of self-awareness, – which can be described as how an individual knows and understands their own character, feelings, motives, motivation, and desire. EPT is therefore many times used within recruitment. EPT is a behavioral test even if it includes both one Personality profile as well an Entrepreneurial profile. The Entrepreneurial profile and the entrepreneurial archetype behavioristics, in question.

 

More research:  Lindstrom talked 2018, at TEDx talk.  What’s so special about entrepreneurs?

The talk is about the answer to the question: What makes an entrepreneur? based on studies and experience. Different types of entrepreneurs with different backgrounds and motivations, and with different impacts and results. Common characteristics of the different archetypes.

 

 

FEEDBACK SERVICES & COACHING.

Like other tests, one should get professional feedback. To get the most out of your EPT results, contact us for individual and related to your answers, personal feedback, or a voluntary professional growth plan. Most welcome  feedback@entrepreneurprofiletest.com

 

 Stefan Lindstrom.

 

 

Lindstrom has also developed learning programs for a variety of businesses and organizations over the years. Already during the late 90s, he participated as a lecturer and was an inspiration for the SAF’s (now Confederation of Swedish Enterprise) project “Start your own ”. The goal of that conference was to disseminate knowledge about entrepreneurship throughout Sweden. Lindstrom has also lectured at Stockholm University, 2012-. He is currently a sought-after speaker on the management circuit in Sweden and around the world.

In 2005 he lived in the United States to study Management and research at the Entrepreneurial Institute at Boston University School of Management.

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–Thank you, Mr. Peter Russo – former Director of Entrepreneurial Institute, Boston University School of Management for all your help through all these years of my studying and guiding me on my research – entrepreneurs and “how they think” that help me to figure out the 6th archetype (workstyle) (The swede whose research found the 6th entrepreneurial archetype (researchgate.net)  that was later launched at The International Conference on Thinking in 2011. That also gave me the privilege to contribute with these six archetypes in my TEDx. talk in  April 2018 where you were of big help and support!