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The 7 Types of Startup Founders: Why It Matters To You

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Gif animating image of 7 different black and white tarot cards moving upward on a black background. Each of these tarot cards have a portrait of a different type of startup founder that’s famous i.e. The Disruptor = Elon Musk. Underneath each card is the headline “The 7 Types of Startup Founders.”
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What’s the #1 thing every founder needs to know?

I’ll give you a few minutes to make a list — top of mind might include sales, marketing, technology, product management (especially product-market fit), technical skills, fundraising, team building, leadership, management, finance, and planning/executing strategic growth and scaling.

Sure… but, sorry, none of that is the correct answer. Because, of course, you know that founders typically are expected to be jacks of all trades. So yes, to all of the above, but that’s not the secret sauce.

The #1 thing every founder needs to know is… themself.

Here’s the truth: founders start companies, and entrepreneurs build them. While not every entrepreneur is a founder (think franchise owners), every founder is an entrepreneur (at least initially).

If you’re like me, you are a forward-obsessed founder. That means where you are now is always building toward where you want to go. That person is always an entrepreneur. Once the company is started, you’ll do what it takes — including relinquishing control — to keep it growing.

Does that sting? We founders think of our companies as our babies, but statistics say we’re likely to be the ones kicked out of the nest. Also, research shows that in…

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Published in Entrepreneurship Handbook

How to succeed in entrepreneurship; feat. founder stories, design articles, and startup deep dives that inspire your entrepreneurial journey.

Written by Pete Sena

I help Founders & Executives save time & money using AI. If you want to upskill your teams to increase output and reduce costs -> https://www.petesena.com/

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