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.
Your list is what people want to believe. It makes for a nice narrative and sells the idea that people like Musk or Zuckerberg are somehow exceptional or that they have a methodology that can be studied and learned.
However if you actually look at common factors between a lot of successful founders it’s more just a case of coming from money and/or plain ole dumb luck being in the right place at the right time.
A lot of these household name founders have succeeded despite them, rather than because of them.