I identify as an ambivert, positioned between being an extrovert and an introvert. Extended periods of speaking often leave me feeling exhausted, and I particularly struggle with conversations involving aggressive personalities. I tend to be a reflective thinker, processing information at a slower pace after conversations.
In my role at work, which involves technical client interaction, I’ve been actively trying to participate more in discussions, but the progress is slow and painful. I’ve noticed that public figures like Elon Musk and Mark Cuban project confidence in their speech, in contrast to the more reserved and calm demeanor of Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg.
While I understand there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, I would greatly value any insights or personal observations, even if they are subjective.
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Agree on being contrarian.
Also being a risk-taker, the ability to make big decisions, willing to fail, and constantly learning.
Lol @ ‘identify as’…. Be yourself. That’s it. Successful people own who they are and use their strengths to their advantage. There are certainly things to learn from successful people, but what works for one may not for another, and what vice versa. You’re doing the right thing by trying to get more involved in the conversation. Practice.
Being born into a wealthy family
There isn’t any. Highly successful founders comes in all personalities from the nicest, kindest and respectful, to the biggest hardcore, dishonest, manipulating dickheads. The only thing they all have in common is they took the action needed, the risk required, and they stay focused on the target despite the doubts from others. As for personalities it’s all over the board from the coolest to the creepiest. Period.
Maybe instead of paying attention to the speech of those people, you could try listening to how a comedian uses their speech. You could listen to learn how comedy works. Maybe you could get some skills that way. Understand what is funny and what makes it funny.
Patience patience patience…
Some people just keep at it until it works but they just know how to fail without collapsing and imploding.
This startup outlines characteristics they’re trying to measure.
Everyone is an ambivert. No one is just one or the other. It’s a sliding scale and a matter of which you skew more towards.
Sorry I know that’s not really the point but it annoys me
Audacious enough to think: “Everyone else is wrong, I can do it better.”
AND
Humble enough to say: “If I’m doing this wrong, for the love of gawd, TELL me!”
Plus, the ability to just plain keep getting back in the ring - even though it means getting your ass handed to you, AGAIN.
Then you go cheer up the little feet behind you, and get ready to take another punch to the face.
Annnnnd do that for 10 years.
Cliche but true: never give up.
My father is very successful and I think the only trait that really stands out is that he doesn’t settle down until he gets what he wants. This requires insane faith in one’s self so I guess faith is also an important trait. Other than that I can’t see anything relevant.
Determined. Determined. And also Determined.
There’s no one size fits all. It’s more about- can you ignore how you “identify” and just take a risk? Successful founders aren’t going to be the ones to over-analyze whether they fit in or don’t. They’re focused on solving real business problems or creating an innovative products where they find an under-served demand. It’s that simple. And then they find the right combination of money, time, and talent to get their vision executed. That’s it. Calculated risks and the will to follow through.
I read an article a while back and I was amazed at one statistic they mentioned. The primairy characteristics that most founders share is three things: ego, insecurity and ambition.
Other than that they couldn’t find any other traits.
Eh, sure, not one size fits all but Oxford released a study a couple weeks ago and found that people with these traits correlated with 80% of successful startups. So, it matters.
Need for variety and novelty, reduced modesty, an openness to adventure, and heightened energy levels
They further found that about 8% of the world has these traits (characteristically, “entrepreneur”) and though that teams are just as capable - that if you don’t have these qualities, find a cofounder who does.
that if you don’t have these qualities, find a cofounder who does.
Or learn them, right? Like being proactive (which kinda equals high energy levels) and being focused. And not putting your energy into “useless” activities.
Maybe. Not saying you’re wrong, just that I think it’s a good question and important discussion.
It’s very hard to learn a different personality. What the study somewhat correlated is that there is a reason 90% of startups fail; that, coincidentally, only 8% of the population has these traits and that those people correlate with 80% of the success. That’s a lot of people without these traits that rather closely lines up with most of the failed startups.
Coincidence? Maybe. But some relevance? Must be. So why not just teach founders to be like this (arguably, we’ve known this for decades; this is just research that proves it out). Why do we teach Lean, business model canvas, pitch deck, and all the technical considerations when what we know is simply: is this you or not? If not, you must learn it.
Because we can’t just change how people are. Hence they found and advise what we also already know - you must have a team (solo founders almost always fail). Likely because without knowing or realizing it, a team makes it more likely that someone has these traits.
Need for variety and novelty, reduced modesty, an openness to adventure, and heightened energy levels
Notice, it doesn’t say focus. There is a great school of thought that I’ve found true, that “focus” is common but bad advice to startups. Focus on what?? You can’t know, it’s a startup.
Need for variety and novelty is explicitly not focus. If something needs to be done, do it. Such people do it.
How? Sense of adventure and Heightened sense of energy. I don’t work 9-5. I work all the time, as much as I can. I love it.
You can’t teach adventurousness (risk tolerance, thrill seeking, novelty, willingness to fail spectacularly, taking on uncertainty). People just have that, or they don’t.
So people with ADHD? Maybe I was built to lead!