EMyth

The EMyth is a concept popularized by Michael E. Gerber in his book, "The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It." The term EMyth is a contraction of the "entrepreneurial myth." This myth suggests that most people who start small businesses are technicians suffering from an entrepreneurial seizure. They are good at the technical work of their business but lack the understanding of how to build and run a business that can grow and thrive independently of them.

Gerber distinguishes between three key roles within a business: the Entrepreneur, the Manager, and the Technician. The Entrepreneur has the vision and dreams of the business. The Manager is concerned with order, systems, and predictability. The Technician is focused on the actual work of doing the business. Many small business owners, according to the EMyth, are primarily technicians who have created a job for themselves rather than a business.

The core of the EMyth philosophy is the idea of working ON the business, not just IN the business. This means developing systems, processes, and an organizational structure that allows the business to function effectively and consistently, even without the owner's constant direct involvement. The goal is to create a business that is a predictable, scalable entity, rather than a reflection of the owner's technical skills. This approach emphasizes delegation, documentation, and the creation of a franchise prototype, a business that could be replicated by others.