Edited Entrepreneur Paper as of 2/13/09

“I came in to win,” says Combs. “This is why I stay up late while other people are sleeping; this is why I don’t go out to the Hamptons.” This, in a nutshell, is why Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, is an Entrepreneur. Garunteed
From the first mention of Entrepreneur at the start of the class, one man, in particular, came to mind; Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. I personally, don’t follow him as a fan, but I do, however, find him to be an excellent example of what it means to be an entrepreneur. Diddy, as he currently likes to be called, has strived as an entrepreneur with the creations of his many product lines. For example, Diddy has his own record company, “Bad Boy Records,” clothing lines, “Sean John” and “Sean by Sean Combs,” a movie production company, and two restaurants, all while continuing his own music career.
Diddy is probably most notable for his record label, Bad Boy Records, formally known as Bad Boy Entertainment. This east coast label, dealing mostly in rap and hip/hop was founded by Diddy in 1993 and turned out many multi-platinum selling artists, such as the Notorious B.I.G.
At first, it seems obvious who Sean’s target demographic audience is, but by studying him deeper and reading more into his background, I think his target audience has much more of a niche to it, more so than just Rap and Hip-hop enthusiasts. After a bit of research, I discovered that Diddy’s child hood and early adult years were really unpleasant, to say the least. Early in his adolescent years, his father was maliciously shot to death, and his brother had ties to some of our countries most infamous drug lords. This information leads me to believe that his target audience was troubled young African-American teens from New York, possibly those ranging in age from 14 to 20. By suggesting this age group to be his niche demographic audience, I’m sure he hoped his lyrics could be an inspiration to those having a rough childhood, like him.
What I admire most about Diddy and his entrepreneurial skills is his, stop at nothing, attitude. Diddy knew from an early age that music was his passion and, with hard work and dedication, he could someday become one of the world’s biggest names in rap and hip/hop. More recently, Diddy is known for his works as an entrepreneur, rather than his current music career. I feel that it’s an admirable characteristic that Diddy stepped aside from his music aspirations to focus on business and helping others reach their dreams. He proves to us that a strong knowledge in business and management can sky rocket you towards great success. If we look at the definition of “entrepreneur,” Diddy exemplifies all of the attributes; passion for an enterprise, dedication and he assumes responsibilities for any problems he encounters.
Mr. Combs, and his Entrepreneurial reputation, make is easy for me to relate his works, to the concept laid out by Geoffrey Moore in “Crossing the Chasm.” For example, early on in the book, it explains to us how we can tell if we are, in simpler terms, a leader or a follower. Needless to say, P. Diddy is definitely highlighted for his leadership skills and being an innovator. “Crossing the Chasm” defines an innovator as someone who is an early adaptor, rather than someone who is a follower, or part of the late majority. Being an innovator says wonders about a person’s character. I believe Diddy is a continuous innovator because he understands that changes need to be made in order to move forward in any endeavor. Not to denote continuous innovators, but to feel that upgrades can happen without changing behavior, seems to be slightly unrealistic. Anyway, by stepping up as a person with innovative ideas, Diddy shows that to be an Entrepreneur, you must be a “go-getter,” and be constantly coming up with new, fresh ideas to further your entrepreneurship.
Diddy may not be the first person you think of at the mention of “entrepreneur,” but he’s as equally admirable for his works as people like Bill Gates, Walt Disney, or Oprah.
I hope to someday be able to relate to Diddy and those other entrepreneurs because, like everyone, I have dreams and ambitions that I’d love to be able to capitalize on. Diddy has shown all of us that it is possible to reach our dreams, but that it takes hard work and a strong business savvy approach.

Works Cited:

1. Campbell, Monty. "What Makes This Album Work." A Review of Sean 'Diddy' Combs Press Play: an Entrepreneur's Great Business Move. Associated Content. 4 Feb. 2009 .
2. Moore, Geofrey. Crossing The Chasm. New York: Collins Business Essentials, 1991. 9-13.
3. Sean Diddy Combs Articles. Google. 3 Feb. 2009 .
4. "Lesson 2: Play to Win." Sean Diddy Combs Articles. Google. 3 Feb. 2009 .
5. FRANKEL, DANIEL . "Mogul builds empire on image, taste and savvy." Billion-Dollar Entrepreneur: Sean Combs. 30 Apr. 2008. Variety. 4 Feb. 2009 .