This is a document to establish what skills I would like to develop as a good entrepreneur (not necessarily great or perfect entrepreneur) before starting my first company.

Hard Skills

Finance: Ability to balance a budget, identify areas to cut costs and increase spend. Have an outline of how to raise money.

Web design: Basics of website creation.

Engineering: Familiarity with the basics of engineering.

HR: Understanding of culture, how to create an environment that fosters creativity and hard work.

Legal: Awareness of what legal caveats to look out for and avoid.

User Research: Familiarity conducting user research interviews to identify the needs of users.

Strategy: Familiarity with how to drafted a good business plan and strategy.

Marketing: Know basics of SEO, social media, and how to generate interest.

Tech: Ability to take any industry, zoom into it and ask, what are the underlying technology factors that are going to change the business model for the next couple of years?

Find things that incumbents can’t or won’t do because either the economics don’t make sense for them, the economics are so unusual, or because technically they can’t.

Soft Skills

Time management: Ability to focus, identify number one priority and execute.

Workout routine: Physical fitness to increase mental stamina and established daily quiet time.

Sales: Pitching to your investors requires you to present your abilities and your product in a way that they want to throw money at its future.

Hiring: Ability to ask relevant questions to identify talent and work place fit. Be comfortable firing.

Get better at giving feedback especially feedback to improve.

Identify core values, that are UNIQUE to me, that never change.

When considering what company to start it’s important that you start with what you’re good at. I want to define and get a better understanding of what I am good at so I can niche down.

On October, 22nd I will reassess where I measure up to these desired skills.