True entrepreneurship often stems from a 'compulsion' to solve a problem, rather than a conscious decision to adopt a job title. This internal drive is what fuels founders through the difficult decisions, particularly when forced to choose between short-term financial engineering and long-term adherence to a mission of creating real value.

At age 44, Matt Spielman reframed his career pivot not as a risk, but as a mitigation of a greater one: staying on the wrong path. He believed waking up at 55 having not pursued his passion would be a far worse outcome than the uncertainty of starting his coaching practice.

Peterffy saw his boss, a psychiatrist with no market background, become a gold trading expert. This observation, combined with his boss's refusal to expand into new areas, gave Peterffy the confidence to leave and start his own firm, believing "if he can figure it out, so can I."

David Risher, an early employee at Microsoft and Amazon, advises job seekers to focus on finding interesting customer problems where they can add value. He explicitly warns against chasing money, calling it a "loser" strategy that never leads to fulfillment, a lesson learned despite his own financial success.

A simple yet powerful way to assess your career trajectory is to evaluate your direct superior's role. If you have no desire to eventually hold that position, it's a strong signal that you are on an unsuitable path and need to change direction.

Major career pivots are not always driven by logic or market data. A deeply personal and seemingly unrelated experience, like being emotionally moved by a film (Oppenheimer), can act as the catalyst to overcome years of resistance and commit to a challenging path one had previously sworn off.

The simple question "What motivates you?" can be a powerful filter. A Forterra leader was once told by a banking vice chairman that being motivated by "team mission" over money would make for a difficult finance career. This advice proved correct and became his favorite question to uncover a candidate's core intrinsic drivers.

The paradox of values-based work is that while it often involves difficult conversations or actions, it ultimately provides energy and fulfillment. Conversely, taking the easy way out (e.g., avoiding conflict) feels simpler in the moment but leaves you feeling hollowed out and depleted.

The solution to the "too ambitious" problem seen in corporate scandals like Enron isn't to dial down ambition. Instead, it's to channel that powerful drive towards positive, moral outcomes. This reframes ambition from a potential vice into a potent force for good when given the right direction.