On Sunday I spoke with an aspiring entrepreneur and we touched upon the question of “How do I know if I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur — or even really want to be one?”
Largely I don’t think that there is something you need to have to be an entrepreneur. If you really want it, you’ll make it work. People from the most unusual backgrounds and skills regularly succeed (and fail as much as your MBA-types). What it really takes is the will to be an entrepreneur. There is nothing which beats that — in the words of a Silicon Valley VC:
“The only people who end up making successful founders are those who just can’t stop themselves from pursuing their idea. They can’t sleep because they are thinking about it all night, they can’t stop talking about it, they can’t focus on their relationships. Those people have no choice but to take that leap of faith, and they might actually have a good shot at it if they have the right skill set. Everyone else isn’t cut out to start a company in this environment. They should join someone else’s company.”
Couldn’t agree more.