What is the most important personality trait for entrepreneurs and why?
PERSEVERANCE. Being an entrepreneur has a lot of ups and downs, maybe even more downs than ups. It's a roller coaster. I try to remember that each hour presents a new opportunity to keep moving forward rather than dwelling on what happened the hour before.
– Alan Braun, CEO of Ingage
A SPIRIT OF GROWTH. Every day as an entrepreneur is different from the day before. You have to be okay with trying something new and learning something new. When my co-founder and I started the business in 2014, there were just two of us and no customers. We now have over 500 customers worldwide and the journey to get there has made my role very different.
– Edith Harbaugh, co-founder and CEO of LaunchDarkly
HUMILITY. Starting something on your own means not only being the boss, but the safety net. No one wants them to be more successful than you. There will be nights where you can do some really fun things, but more often than not you'll have to miss them to clean the bar mats. Having a realistic view of yourself makes those times more rewarding and less sacrifice knowing there is a greater goal to be achieved.
– Rhett Rosen, CEO of Trader Vic's Worldwide
RESISTANCE. Without this characteristic, one will not last long enough to prove that a business is productive. By nature, startups require daily failure. When you launch a new process or product, find out what not to do is just as critical as defining what to make. Being able to recover from failure often and well is what distinguishes many successful founders from those with the best intentions.
—Carisa Miklusak, CEO of tilr
IMAGINITY. You have to keep pushing the ball down the field. Not only does this increase your chances of success, but it also inspires those around you to do the same.
– Oren Zaslansky, CEO of Flock Freight
