Is there a prototypical entrepreneur? You may have noticed that the majority of my blog posts explore this concept, and I don’t think there is. I hope that, if nothing else, the articles I share shed light on the fact that anyone with the right combination of agility and drive can become a successful entrepreneur.
In a February 2016 article published on both Fortune.com and Entrepreneur.com, author/entrepreneur Neil Patel agrees with me. Instead of pointing out more obvious entrepreneurial traits like “initiative” and “determined”, Patel details six lesser-known characteristics:
- They are self-taught – learning what is needed to succeed along the way is a critical to accomplish one’s goals.
- They live frugally – one piece of advice I received when I started PFC pick up the paper clips on the floor, and turn off the lights every night. In other words, keep your overhead low. For entrepreneurs this applies to both business and personal overhead.
- They have worked menial jobs – entrepreneurs know the only path to success is through hard work. I explored this idea a little more in-depth in a previous post about Marc Cuban, who Patel also cites here.
- They give back – no matter how rich or poor, most successful entrepreneurs see the value in helping others. Yes this applies to write offs, but that is just an added benefit to being a well-rounded human.
- They pursue happiness – I have realized that all entrepreneurs are emotionally attached to their business, their work brings with it an inherent joy that financial rewards cannot fully provide.
- They are introverts – another idea I’ve explored in a previous post, Patel singles out that introverts make great entrepreneurs due to their increased ability to focus on the details.