In our “Entrepreneurs of Austria” series, we’re interviewing entrepreneurs to learn more about their journey, experiences, and learnings. One of the questions we were especially curious about were the most valuable skills for building a successful business. Can these skills be learned, or are there even traits that entrepreneurs are “just born with”? How can we all make use of these skills to become more entrepreneurial in our daily lives?
In the 15 interviews with the entrepreneurs of season 1, we’ve discovered patterns of valuable skills of entrepreneurs. They range from advice to trust the gut feeling to interpersonal communication and sales skills, self-adaptation, time management and planning in enough time for rest to reset and reflect.
The 3 most valuable skills we’ve identified for building successful businesses:
#3: Quickly Adapting to Changing Situations
In entrepreneurship, no day is the same. Every day brings new and unexpected challenges, and things might be moving very quickly: From signing new customers on Monday to difficult calls and decision making on Tuesday, every day varies greatly, and is part of the emotional rollercoaster entrepreneurship is often compared to. Being comfortable to adapt quickly to changing situations and pivot where needed is one common topic that we’ve seen in our interviews, and prepare entrepreneurs to stay flexible and adapt in a world of uncertainty and constant change.
#2: Courage
Entrepreneurship can be difficult and scary. It’s walking an unbeaten path that nobody has ever taken before, and nobody knows its final destination. Courage is key in entrepreneurship. Going from a stable paycheck to exploring, learning, and building a company is a big decision: Entrepreneurship is risky. Taking the decision to venture into entrepreneurship requires courage, which was very often mentioned in our interviews and seems to be one common trait the entrepreneurs shared.
#1: Persistence
Persistence seems to be the number one skill to master in entrepreneurship. Even if one might be facing difficult times, having the grit to pull through, find a way out, analyze the situation and pivot is key for success. Isa Watson, a US-based founder, describes the feeling of Entrepreneurship in what we believe is a very accurate reflection: “Being an entrepreneur is just literally mastering how to stomach the feeling that things are falling apart and coming together all at the same time.” Persistence, or the unwillingness to give up in difficult times, can really make a difference to push a company ahead in their path towards success, and is a key skill our entrepreneurs have mentioned when building their businesses.
Successful entrepreneurship seems to align around these 3 key skills – quickly adapting to changing situations, courage and persistence. Do you agree? What do you think should have made the list? Reach out to us on our various social media channels! We are curious about your opinion!
In our weekly interview series, we will be featuring various inspirational entrepreneurs of the Austrian startup scene. Each Monday, you can expect useful insights into their lives and practical tips that you can follow in order to walk your entrepreneurial path. Like, share, comment – and feel free to reach out to us. Suggestions, ideas, remarks are all welcome – let’s shape the ecosystem together.
