Are entrepreneurs born or made? 

Adrián Garcia-Aranyos, President of Endeavor Global, shares in an interview conducted by the Spanish multinational telecommunications company, Telefónica, some of his advice and mistakes to avoid for those who dream of taking that first step into the world of entrepreneurship.

To answer the question posed previously, Adrián shares that entrepreneurs are both born and created. While some are born into a family of entrepreneurs who naturally pick up on entrepreneurial tendencies, others may find an opportunity and choose to pursue it once given a chance to. He shares that there are common traits among entrepreneurs regardless of the circumstances in which they became entrepreneurs:

• People who utilize their work experience to launch new solutions.
• Global citizens who have broad world views.
• Specialists in specific market niches who develop their full potential to turn their ideas into ventures.

Keys to Succeed as an Entrepreneur

Adrián shares three keys with us so that the exercise of undertaking is full of good results, but above all of great learning, such as:

• Surround yourself with people who know the industry in which you want to develop your idea.
• Be honest and share the details of your idea with the right people.
• Be open to receiving feedback.

Complementing these keys are three mistakes to avoid while starting a new venture:

• Avoid being stubborn, know to adapt your idea based on the feedback received.
• Do not believe that you will be able to execute on the idea alone, build the right team to execute on your vision.
• Do not close yourself off because you think your idea will be stolen, this will allow you to obtain the best feedback.

He also shares the importance of not giving into the fear of failure. Often some of the greatest startups are built upon the experience gained from previous failures. To mitigate risks he suggests that entrepreneurs can start a venture as a side-job to validate the idea before fully committing.

To close the interview, Adrián emphasizes the importance of connections.

“Entrepreneurial ecosystems are always open to connecting. When I moved to Spain to join Endeavor, I had no network. I was immediately introduced to four people who introduced me to four more people, and I realized that I knew everyone I needed to know within the ecosystem. The same thing happened to me in the United States.”

The full interview can be viewed here.

This is a translation of “Las claves del éxito en el ecosistema emprendedor por Adrián García-Aranyos” by Endeavor Colombia. Translation by Endeavor Staff member Eric Marroquin with additional support from Laura Ginebra.