Entrepreneurial Characteristics and Careers: American High-Tech Entrepreneurs

The dramatic success of American entrepreneurs has long captured the interest of the nation. Entrepreneurs are perceived by many to illustrate the American Dream. In American Entrepreneur: The Fascinating Stories of the People Who Defined Business in the United States (2009), Larry Schweikart and Lynne Pierson Doti explore the history of American entrepreneurs and their impact on the American economy. To honor the research legacy of Lynne Doti, this paper will examine the characteristics and careers of high-tech entrepreneurs within the framework of our previous research on one of the entrepreneurs highlighted in their book by examining the early influences, reconnection, transformation, reflection, and death stages of Steve Jobs' career.