The "spark" for several entrepreneurs is seeing a chance that doesn't yet exist. Ted Turner, for instance, launched CNN because he perceived that people wanted extra tv news than they were being offered. It took a lot of patience on Turners part to recognize the vision, yet he had checked out the market in a way that few "professionals" did at the time.

In understanding the promise of CNN, Turner demonstrated one more element of the entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance. There are a…