The “Can Do” Spirit of Founders

Last week, during our Annual General Meeting, I was responsible for introducing one of our founders before she stood in front of our incredible investors to present her company and tell a little bit about her story. I admire this CEO a lot, so I wanted to give her a well-deserved introduction and was sure to study her bio pretty closely to find the best highlights to share with the audience.

After jotting down a few ideas, it still didn’t feel compelling or authentic enough, and I decided to step away and come back to it later. Sure enough, like in any time I do this, the next morning it became clear to me. It didn’t feel compelling because her accomplishments alone were not the main reason why I respected this founder. I admire her for the way her personality drives her to accomplish great things. The first thing that came to mind for me was “She is a force of nature”. She makes things happen when others may not believe it’s possible. And that ended up being the ultimate focus of her introduction.

I share this story because I get asked frequently about what I look for in a founder. In my opinion, a great one has industry/experience fit, has self awareness to identify his/her own gaps, is coachable, has charisma to influence in selling, fundraising, and hiring. But the reality is that none of this really matters if he/she cannot make things happen. Ultimately you have to execute, challenge the status quo, or relentlessly push forward even when others lose faith. Some may call this “grit”, I like the sound of “force of nature”.

This “can do” spirit is what I look for in an entrepreneur and the reason why I consider it a privilege to do what I do. Being surrounded by people like that is what makes me love my work.

So… if you are or know one of those people, give us a call =)