Gut feeling, intuition, and experience. All of these are success traits people typically associate with startups. But is it really enough? This article explores the genetic make-up of startups, and which share traits that make them better suited for the long haul. After surveying 95 new startup companies in the Netherlands, CapitalT venture fund partner Eva de Mol revealed her findings:
- It has to be the right dynamic — 60% of new startups fail because of issues within the team.
- Investors are looking for more than great resumes, they alone cannot achieve great performance.
- Prior experience, product knowledge, and industry skills looks great on paper; however, these traits are not enough unless team members are willing to share the breadth of their knowledge, which goes hand-in-hand with an office culture of mutual respect, communication, and an aligned shared vision.
- Therefore, for optimal team performance, there must be the right mix of hard and soft skills — bringing together team member experience (hard skills) and passion and vision (soft skills).
- Nurturing and growing a startup is a long road, resumes must be complemented with “entrepreneurial passion and strategic vision.”
