This isn’t just a quiz, it’s a tool for self-discovery. By answering these 10 situational questions, you’ll identify your core entrepreneurial traits and get actionable advice to sharpen your entrepreneur skills.
Introduction: Know Yourself First
What truly separates a founder who succeeds from one who struggles? While a great idea is the spark, research consistently shows that an entrepreneur’s mindset is the fuel. Self-awareness is one of the most critical factors for success.
Consider these facts:
- A study found that “self-efficacy,” or the belief in your ability to succeed, is one of the strongest predictors of becoming an entrepreneur. (Source: Journal of Business Venturing)
- Research from the University of Pennsylvania highlights that “grit,” the tendency to persevere through challenges, is a key trait that distinguishes high achievers.
- According to a global study, the top reason ventures fail isn’t the economy or competition; it’s often due to the “founder giving up.” (Source: Startup Genome)
This test is designed to help you discover your mindset. Answer the following 10 questions honestly to see where your strengths lie. Keep track of your answers (A, B, or C).
The Entrepreneur’s Test
1. You have a new, unproven idea for a product. You have some personal savings. You…
- A) Spend months researching every detail to create a perfect business plan before spending a single dollar.
- B) Use a small amount of your savings to build the simplest possible version (an MVP) to see if anyone will buy it.
- C) Keep the idea to yourself, worried that it might fail or that someone might steal it.
2. A key feature of your product receives negative feedback from early customers. You…
- A) Defend the feature, believing the customers just don’t understand the vision yet.
- B) Immediately start interviewing those customers to understand the root of the problem, and are willing to change or remove the feature.
- C) Feel discouraged and start to doubt the entire project.
3. You’re faced with a critical decision that could significantly grow your business, but it also carries a major financial risk. You…
- A) Avoid the risk entirely. It’s better to grow slowly and safely.
- B) Calculate the potential upside and downside, and take the risk if the potential reward is high enough.
- C) Ask for opinions from many people, hoping someone will decide for you.
4. Two important tasks land on your desk at the same time. One is urgent but low-impact (e.g., fixing a typo on your website). The other is important but not urgent (e.g., planning your next product line). You…
- A) Immediately handle the urgent typo because it’s causing a problem right now.
- B) Dedicate your main block of energy to planning the future product line, as it has a much bigger impact on long-term success.
- C) Try to do both at once, switching back and forth.
5. You attend a networking event. Your primary goal is to…
- A) Hand out as many business cards as possible to generate leads.
- B) Have a few high-quality conversations and find one or two people you can genuinely help or collaborate with.
- C) Stand by the wall and wait for people to approach you first.
6. Your biggest competitor just launched a new feature that is better than yours. You…
- A) Publicly dismiss their feature while secretly trying to build an exact copy of it.
- B) Acknowledge it’s a good move, study why customers like it, and figure out how to create something even better that aligns with your unique vision.
- C) Feel defeated, believing you can no longer compete.
7. You have the opportunity to hire an employee who is far more skilled than you in a key area (e.g., marketing or finance). You…
- A) Feel a little intimidated and worry they might challenge your authority.
- B) Hire them immediately, excited by the idea of bringing someone smarter than you onto the team to fill a critical gap.
- C) Decide to save the money and try to learn the skill yourself.
8. Your startup has a major setback, and you lose a key client. After the initial disappointment, your first thought is…
- A) “This is a disaster. Who can I blame for this?”
- B) “Okay, that didn’t work. What can we learn from this, and what’s our next move?”
- C) “This is a sign that I should probably give up.”
9. When you think about the future of your business, you primarily focus on…
- A) How to perfect the product’s features and technical details.
- B) How the business will solve a major problem for a specific group of customers.
- C) How to avoid making any mistakes along the way.
10. A potential partner wants to work with you, but their professional style and values seem to clash with your company’s culture. You…
- A) Go ahead with the partnership if the financial upside is big enough.
- B) Decline the partnership, believing that a strong culture and value alignment is more important for long-term success.
- C) Agree to the partnership but feel uneasy about it.
Your Results: What’s Your Founder Archetype?
Count up your A’s, B’s, and C’s to find your dominant archetype.
Mostly A’s: The Perfectionist Planner
You are a thoughtful, analytical, and brilliant individual. Your strength lies in your ability to research, plan, and build things to a high standard. You hate making mistakes and believe in perfecting a product before it sees the light of day.
- Your Strengths: Detail-oriented, high standards, strategic thinking.
- Potential Blind Spots: You might suffer from “analysis paralysis,” spending so much time planning that you delay taking action. You may also be resistant to feedback that contradicts your perfect plan.
- Actionable Advice: Embrace the “MVP” (Minimum Viable Product) mindset. The goal is not to launch something perfect, but to launch something now to get real-world feedback. Action, even imperfect action, is better than perfect inaction.
Mostly B’s: The Visionary Builder
You have the classic entrepreneurial DNA. You are resilient, action-oriented, and customer-obsessed. You see setbacks as learning opportunities and are comfortable with calculated risks. You understand that building a business is about creating a team and solving problems for people, not just about having a perfect product.
- Your Strengths: Action-oriented, resilient, customer-centric, strong leader.
- Potential Blind Spots: Your focus on action might sometimes cause you to overlook important details in the planning phase. You might also take on too much yourself because you’re always moving forward.
- Actionable Advice: Find a “Perfectionist Planner” to be your partner or number two. You need someone on your team who can manage the details while you drive the vision forward. Make sure to schedule time for strategic thinking, not just doing.
Mostly C’s: The Cautious Dreamer
You are creative, thoughtful, and have a rich world of ideas. You have the vision, but a fear of failure or uncertainty holds you back from taking the critical first step. You prefer safety and may doubt your abilities, waiting for the “perfect” time or for someone else to validate your ideas.
- Your Strengths: Visionary, creative, thoughtful, risk-averse.
- Potential Blind Spots: Your fear of failure can be paralyzing, preventing you from ever starting. You may undervalue your ideas and wait for permission to act.
- Actionable Advice: Your first step is to build confidence through small, manageable actions. Start by sharing your idea with one trusted friend. Then, build the smallest possible piece of it—a simple landing page or a single product sample. The goal is to prove to yourself that you can take action and that failure is not an end, but a part of the process.
Want to Learn More About Yourself?
If you want to go deeper than our quick test, these established assessments provide more detailed insights into your entrepreneurial profile:
- The MAPP Career Assessment: This test is widely used to identify your motivations and potential career matches, helping you understand if your core drive aligns with an entrepreneurial path. You can find it at Assessment.com.
- The Enneagram Institute’s RHETI Test: While a personality test, the Enneagram is heavily used in business coaching to understand core motivations, fears, and leadership styles, which are crucial for founders. The official test is available at the Enneagram Institute.
- The Gallup StrengthsFinder (CliftonStrengths): This assessment helps you identify your top 5 natural talents. Understanding if your strengths lie in areas like relationship building, strategic thinking, or execution is invaluable for a founder. You can find it at Gallup.com.
Final Thoughts
This test isn’t a definitive judgment; it’s a mirror. There is no “wrong” archetype. The most successful founders are simply the ones who understand their natural strengths and actively work on their weaknesses.
A “Perfectionist Planner” can learn to take action. A “Cautious Dreamer” can build resilience. And a “Visionary Builder” can learn to value the details. Entrepreneurship is not a fixed identity; it is a journey of constant learning and growth.
Ready to turn your vision into a structured plan? Start by using a professional Business Plan Template to organize your ideas and create a clear path forward.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison
This is the essence of the entrepreneurial mindset. Embrace the process, learn from every step, and keep building.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Can you learn to be an entrepreneur?
Yes. While some people may have more natural tendencies, the most critical skills like financial literacy, resilience, and communication can all be learned and developed over time through practice. - What is the single most important trait for a founder?
Most experienced entrepreneurs would point to resilience. The ability to handle stress, learn from setbacks, and maintain a long-term vision despite short-term problems is what separates those who last from those who quit. - I’m a mix of all three archetypes. Is that normal?
Yes, it’s perfectly normal and very common. Most people are a blend. The key is to recognize which tendency is your default setting, especially under pressure, and to know when you need to lean into the strengths of another archetype.
References
- Entrepreneurship Tag. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/tag/entrepreneurship-2/
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. (2016). Angela Duckworth. https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/
- The Global Startup Ecosystem Report. (2023). Startup Genome. https://startupgenome.com/report/gser2023