When you're an entrepreneur, perhaps one of the most important moments when starting a project is presenting it to potential investors. But right now, investors are not only analyzing the specific characteristics of the project, but also who are the entrepreneurs behind it and who are going to carry it out. Along these lines, Patrick Hunt (Intelectium CEO and Active Investor) offers entrepreneurs, from their experience, what aspects investors value most in an entrepreneurial team.
Therefore, we can consider that in the perfect profile of an entrepreneur that convinces investors should have a mix of values, competencies and abilities, which we will describe below:
Generosity and honesty
To build a company it is It is essential to surround yourself with good people. And attracting these types of resources is often expensive. As there are usually few resources in the beginning, the entrepreneur must attract them with the promise of subsequent rewards. That is to say, sharing company shares with them. This requires a very important exercise in analytical-emotional intelligence: when distributing, the entrepreneur should keep a sufficient part to preserve motivation, taking into account, in addition, that this part will be diluted with the following capital inflows into the company.Investors don't want selfish entrepreneurs. Selfishness is often synonymous with conflict. And conflict, in addition to affecting working relationships, distracts the entrepreneur from his main task, which is to make the pie to be distributed bigger for everyone, so that everyone has a small but valuable piece.
The austerity chip
Of course, selfish is not synonymous with austere. In fact, this is another of the traits that investors are most looking for in entrepreneurs. In Spain, and even in Europe, the capital available to launch startups is' relatively 'limited. AND in order to achieve the same level of success comparable to that of North American entrepreneurs, those here have to be better able to do more with less (“resourceful”). The investor should see that the entrepreneur will not drown in a glass of water or spend too many resources at the launch stage of the company, since the following stages usually need additional liquidity.
Analysis and decision
La Analytical intelligence is the next trait that an entrepreneur must have. And an analytical intelligence that quickly transforms into decision. In a technological environment as competitive as the current one, there are challenges that need to be evaluated quickly to take action as soon as possible. For an investor, analytical intelligence is the ability to quickly interpret the signals that arrive and for this the entrepreneur must also have good observation skills that allow him to interpret the environment well. But no, this does not come about by infused science: the entrepreneur must know sophisticated market research methodologies, which go beyond the traditional surveys and focus groups that teach in many business schools. Thus, the analytical intelligence will have a correct execution that will allow the entrepreneur to design quick and concise answers to be able to put them into practice without delay, being effective to the maximum. More: How to attract an investor?How to plan the distribution of capital of a startup among its founders?
