In my opinion, true entrepreneurs respect other entrepreneurial companies for only two reasons: Scrappy-ness and financial guts (big balls). 

So, when a colleague referred to us as scrappy, I was flattered and still haven’t forgot it.  To most it may take on the connotation of ‘small’ or ‘insignificant’ and maybe he meant it that way (he works for a large conglomerate) but I took it as a huge compliment.  Scrappy to me means creating value (out of little resources)

In our business its about creating efficiencies (getting customers, servicing customers, automating production, improving quality, etc) so we may pass the savings on to our customer as a reduction in cost or time or improving quality for the same price.

as far as risk: compared to the business owners of my father’s generation, entrepreneurs don't have balls anymore....the VC's/ private equity folks have them, by debting up other people's balls