Ludwig von Mises on the importance of the entrepreneur

It is impossible to eliminate the entrepreneur from the picture of a market economy.  The various complementary factors of production cannot come together spontaneously.  They need to be combined by the purposive efforts of men aiming at certain ends and motivated by the urge to improve their state of satisfaction.  In eliminating the entrepreneur one eliminates the driving force of the whole market system.

~ Ludwig von Mises, Human Action, pp. 248-249