Assuming subjects and skills refer to book-learned knowledge rather than life experience: I'm trying to decide what to study in college or through MOOCs like those offered by EdX or Coursera or whether or not I should choose a business or a non-business major. I am trying to decide what to focus on. If I self-studied instead, I wouldn't have any debt from my degree but could still need a degree for other reasons. What specific topics are essential for entrepreneurs to know? For example, there's a lot to learn as a finance major and I'm not sure which topics would be relevant for entrepreneurship. I've tried thinking about it in other ways, for example: "What should a successful entrepreneur/CEO be able to do?" and tried to figure out which subjects will teach me the skills I'll need to achieve those goals.
Picking the right Partner!
Here are the 8 qualities you should watch for while deciding on a partnership with a co-founder for your startup.
1. A good partner has the life-design that fits being in a startup (can spare the time, energy, focus and finances required)
2. A good partner shares the problem (sees the world in the same unique way)
3. A good partner has depth of knowledge on at least one topic related to the startup (you find yourself learning new things in each encounter)
4. A good partner values good execution over genius ideas (knows success is more dependent on doing hard work and the teams’ problem solving capacity rather than the ingenuity of ideas)
Hint: Here is a litmus test. Ask your potential partner what she thinks has made the well-known startups successful. If the answer is among the realms of “a genius idea”, or “luck” take these as warning signs.
5. A good partner focuses on increasing the quality of decisions (honestly prefers reaching better business decisions rather than ‘being right’)
6. A good partner listens to you (open to learning from you and enjoys discussing ideas even when their direct impact on the business is not apparent)
7. A good partner is intrinsically motivated (follows-up on her tasks without external reminders and volunteers for open tasks)
8. A good partner is a life-long learner (sees the big picture, values design-thinking, quick to grasp abstract concepts, can change her ideas when presented with the right data)
Listen to the podcast where I talk about these: http://commonwisdom.co.uk/8-principles-for-picking-the-right-co-founder-for-your-startup-podcast/
Answered 6 years ago
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