Technopreneur: Definition, Skills, Duties & Examples

Interested in becoming an entrepreneur by leveraging the rapid developments in technology today? Then, technopreneur is a profession you can pursue.

A technopreneur is an individual capable of creating new business opportunities by harnessing innovation and technology.

One of the primary tasks of such a profession is addressing long-term societal issues by developing ventures to gain profits.

Phenomenal figures you often hear about, such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Steve Jobs, all fall under the category of successful technopreneurs.

Learn more about what is technopreneur definition, its tasks and responsibilities, as well as the skills required in the detailed discussion below.

What is Technopreneur?

Before delving deeper into information regarding this profession, let's first understand the origin of the term.

"Technopreneur" is a combination of "technology" and "entrepreneur." In essence, it refers to someone who undertakes various innovative business efforts by leveraging practices or knowledge in the field of technology.

They generally focus on launching new products/services as solutions to a particular problem or the needs of their target customers.

This profession represents a breakthrough aligned with the development and innovation of technology and can be a potential success opportunity for experts in related fields.

To understand better about the concept better, consider the following example:

Traditional Business: Culinary business A focuses on improving the quality and taste of their food to attract buyers.

Technopreneurs: In addition to enhancing the restaurant menu's quality, they also utilize technology, such as creating an application or web app that simplifies the purchasing process. With this method, the target market can be expanded, even to the younger generation or Gen Z.

The Differences Between Technopreneurs and Entrepreneurs

If both aim to generate profit, then what is the difference between a technopreneur and an entrepreneur? Look at the table below to identify their differences.

The Main Goal of A Technopreneur

Similar to other business professionals, the main goal of this profession is to maximize business opportunities and potential for profit, but in this case, it is achieved through the utilization of technology. The additional objectives include:

1. Generate New Innovations

Some successful technopreneurs are typically able to create products/services that are hard to predict. 

They can be considered successful when they can identify opportunities that others may not see and create truly revolutionary solutions.

2. Addressing Issues with Technology-Based Solutions

Another goal of this profession is to identify challenges faced by society or industries. This can include market needs, social issues, or common business obstacles.

By understanding these issues or challenges, technopreneurs then strive to present innovative and sustainable solutions through the latest technology.

They can leverage technology as the primary foundation in developing applications, implementing artificial intelligence (AI), or using other relevant technologies.

3. Developing an Innovative Ecosystem

As they are agents of change, they aim to develop a dynamic ecosystem of technological innovation.

To develop this innovation ecosystem, this profession needs to closely collaborate with various stakeholders, including start-up companies, educational institutions, government entities, or other entities that play a crucial role in advancing innovation.

4. Business Decentralization

Some professionals in this area are always directly involved with technology, which makes them easier to form teams in various locations to leverage specialized expertise from different regions or countries.

This not only opens up opportunities to acquire potential talent but also allows for better adaptation to regional market needs.

Moreover, because they are not bound to a specific location, technopreneurs can optimize their business operations by reducing overhead costs and allocating resources more accurately.

Technopreneur Job Description

Interested in becoming one of them but still unsure about what you would do in this profession? 

The scope of responsibilities and tasks for this position include:

• Conducting market research and comprehensive technology research.
• Gathering data and information to support problem-solving.
• Developing user-friendly technology-based solutions.
• Prioritizing efficiency and performance effectiveness.
• Creating quality products/services and addressing user issues in specific segments.
• Emphasizing adaptive behavior to technological changes.
• Ensuring the generated innovations are sophisticated, modern, and aligned with the needs of the target user.

Required Skills to Become A Technopreneur

To join this position, you don't need many specific qualifications. In essence, there are only three main skills you should possess.

1. IT Skills

As a business professional in the realm of technology, IT knowledge is a crucial skill that cannot be denied.

You need to have at least an understanding of programming, software development, artificial intelligence, or other relevant technology trends in the industry and target market.

However, IT knowledge is not only about technical aspects. You also need to understand how technology can be creatively applied to overcome challenges and create opportunities.

2. Leadership 

You need to lead and inspire a team to create innovative ideas. Therefore, you should at least, have high interpersonal sensitivity, can manage conflicts, and motivate team members to innovate.

Additionally, delegation skills and the ability to listen well are also integral parts of creating a collaborative work environment.

3. Problem-Solving Skill

In this profession, you will face various challenges and problems that require solutions.

Hence, problem-solving is a key that helps you to not only identify problems but also design innovative solutions.

You need to have an open-minded approach to problem-solving, be able to think critically and be willing to take risks to test new ideas.

Other important skills you need to have are:

• Foreign language skills.
• Advanced managerial skills.
• Innovation skills.
• Analytical and progressive capabilities.

Technopreneurs Examples

After going through the discussion above, you undoubtedly have an understanding of the definition. 

However, you might still be curious about technopreneur examples that can generate profits. Here are some examples that cmlabs provides: 

1. Online Education Platform

You can create online education platforms that offer courses infused with artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify the individual needs of each student and tailor curricula accordingly.

2. VR Implementation

This approach can be applied to various technopreneur ventures. In the real estate industry, for example, VR can facilitate virtual tours for users to review properties without being physically present.

3. Utilization of IoT in Agriculture

The Internet of Things (IoT) strategy employed in the agriculture industry has garnered public attention. Essentially, this phenomenon is also considered an example of a technopreneur venture.

In this case, technopreneurs can design IoT solutions to support smarter farming activities. For instance, by creating sensor technology capable of monitoring soil conditions, air humidity, and plant health, farmers can make informed decisions based on real-time data.

How to Be A Technopreneur?

The discussion doesn't stop here. Now, it's time for you to take notes on how to be a technopreneur. 

1. Prepare Your Team

You cannot run and manage a business alone, especially if the business is continuously expanding and gaining popularity. 

Therefore, before starting to design products/services, you must first find a team with a shared vision and mission that can be trusted.

You may be an expert in technology, but what about other activities like marketing and publicity? Hence, make sure you have a complete team before diving into the next strategies.

2. Train Your Problem-Solving Skills

In every corner of business, there will undoubtedly be problems that need to be solved as soon as possible, especially in such an innovative and dynamic field.

Some challenges or problems you may often face include operational issues, government regulations, and policies, or even funding. 

Therefore, you need to ensure you can provide alternative solutions to every presented problem. 

3. Learn to Make Quick Decisions

You can start learning to quickly make decisions about something. When you can make decisions quickly, the business can also gain a significant competitive advantage.

Begin training yourself to identify and respond to market changes quickly while anticipating the needs of other customers.

4. Create Valuable Products/Services:

Always remember that one of your main goals is to gain profit or revenue. Therefore, you must be able to create solutions to problems (could be in the form of products/services) that are easily accessible to the target market.

5. Analyze Opportunities and Risks

Where there are opportunities, there are risks. In the business world, analyzing opportunities and risks is a highly crucial step. Try to analyze market trends, customer needs, and potential risks that may be faced.

That concludes the discussion about technopreneurship, the duties and responsibilities, skills to be possessed, and how to become a technopreneur in the rapidly advancing era of technology.

In addition, you still need to prioritize business strategies. For example, if you want to increase brand awareness and domain authority in search engines, you will need the assistance of SEO experts.

In this regard, SEO Services by cmlabs can help you project and maximize the organic traffic of your business website.

Let's collaborate! Contact Our Marketing Team now!