You could take the Merriam-Webster definitions:
■ The act or an instance of setting something in operation or motion.
■ A fledgling business enterprise.
Or the start-up accelerator Y Combinator’s definition: "a small, early-stage company designed to grow fast ... 50× to 100× growth in a year".
Both of these definitions capture parts of the story but fall short of what needs to be done.
At Startup Dunedin, we much prefer our own definition: "a series of small experiments to find a scalable and repeatable business model".
This definition values learning and doesn’t underestimate the risk and privilege involved in starting something new.
We believe anyone can start something if they choose to, whether they identify as a tinkerer, a founder, an entrepreneur, or a classic New Zealander with a no8 wire mentality.
This person could be you; you might already have a side hustle or an idea in progress.
Often, the hardest part is simply getting started and building the confidence that it will work.
The word entrepreneur can feel loaded — shaped by media stereotypes or the lack of visible role models who look and sound like you.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg: the Stanford dropout who became a billionaire (Mark Zuckerberg), the Stanford dropout who lost everything and was sent to prison (Elizabeth Holmes) and the Stanford dropout who failed multiple times before co-founding OpenAI (Sam Altman).
But these are the stories that make headlines, not the reality of most founders.
So maybe when you hear the word "entrepreneur" you don’t think it refers to you or people you know.
However, chances are that you know an entrepreneur or founder in your own community.
Because Dunedin is really good at it.
Entrepreneurs in Dunedin.
When someone is starting something new, being wrong is a good thing.
As scary as it may feel, being wrong helps strengthen the idea.
You get to learn, adapt, and refine the solution.
Being wrong also means talking to potential customers and hearing their feedback, even when it challenges assumptions.
It’s less like a jigsaw puzzle (where you know what the final picture looks like) and more like a Wasgij that shows you the final image as you put the pieces together.
Our free 15-minute meetings are often about helping people understand what the next experiment might be.
Take small risks.
Starting something new can feel like a big risk.
The key is understanding your own risk threshold and what you need to feel confident taking the next step.
Many people underestimate how much they can test an idea with very little money, time, or effort.
Think of it like building an apartment block. You wouldn’t start pouring concrete straight away.
You’d sketch, make a model, maybe even pre-sell a few units. These are all ways of de-risking.
In a start-up, you can apply the same logic.
First, ask: Is this problem worth solving? Is it painful or frequent enough that people would pay for a solution?
Then, start experimenting, prototype, manually create the service, get pre-orders, or collect a customer list. Each small test builds evidence that increases confidence and decreases risk.
This is where many misunderstandings about entrepreneurship come in.
People often romanticise taking big risks like "just quit your job and build it", but that mindset overlooks the privilege behind being able to take those leaps, support a family or pay rent.
In reality, most founders can’t afford to gamble everything.
That’s why at Startup Dunedin, we focus on de-risking: helping people test, learn, and grow safely before the big step.
Founders in Dunedin often live busy lives — they may be parents, they might work fulltime, sit on a board, contribute to their sports club or local church.
We are advocates for entrepreneurship that works alongside these other commitments.
If you need encouragement to put your ideas out into the world, come and talk to us.
From ideas to action
At some point, grit and determination aren’t enough.
Sometimes you need to spend cash to get past that next hurdle.
If that’s what’s holding you back, then Startup Dunedin microgrants are here to help — small bursts of funding ($500-$2000) to help people run experiments, test ideas, and learn what works.
Applications are open now and close on February 9 at 10am.
They’re designed for anyone seeking a thoughtful, low-risk step towards finding a scalable and repeatable business model.
If you’re interested in hearing more book in a time to have a free one-on-one meeting.
■ Rachel Butler is general manager of Startup Dunedin.
