Entrepreneur DNA Assessment
The Founder Institute was launched in 2009 with a mission to empower talented and motivated entrepreneurs to launch enduring businesses.
To manage thousands of applications at scale, FI worked with leading social scientists to develop an objective 'Entrepreneur DNA Assessment' that predicts the likelihood that someone can become a successful founder of a fast-growth company - regardless of their idea, locale, or demographic.
7,500+
Tech companies launched185,000+
Applicants across 6 continents
Decoding the DNA
Great companies start with great people, so the Founder Institute has been researching the personality traits that correlate with building great companies since 2009.
To date, over 185,000 people have applied, and over 7,500 companies have been launched through FI programs.
Psychographic Testing
Rather than subjectively judging startup ideas, the admissions criteria for the FI accelerator is an online battery of tests that quantifies the greatest variable in startup success: the founder(s).
Pre-Seed Accelerator
Accepted founders join an intense 4-month accelerator to launch a startup. Each week they get ratings on their progress from peers, program leaders, and experienced mentors.
Track Market Performance
After graduation, the FI Portfolio Support team continues rating the founders on their company performance 'in the real world', with all data fed back into the weighting of the assessment.
Analyze and Calibrate
Through a flow of continous data, regression analysis from PhDs, and frequent test updates, FI has built and can maintain a statistically validated test for identifying the highest potential entrepreneurs.
What we evaluate
The Entrepreneur DNA Assessment, which was formed utilizing our own data and extensive peer-reviewed literature, analyzes 25 dimensions of entrepreneurship. Below are just a few.
Collaboration
Can you work effectively in the context of a team?
Perseverance
Are you resilient and intrinsically motivated to succeed?
Proactivity
Are you a self-starter that takes initiative in unclear environments?
Problem Solving
Can you learn quickly and apply that learning to solve complex problems?
Entrepreneur DNA Report
Applicants to the Founder Institute pre-seed accelerator can get a free Entrepreneur DNA Report Preview immediately after completing the assessment.
The assessment only takes about 30 minutes, and your Report Preview will highlight the personality traits you possess that will help you be a strong entrepreneur, the traits that may hinder you, and how you compare to the average scores of 185,000+ applicants worldwide.
The Founder Institute appears to have developed an assessment that any population, any city, university, or country could use to determine who among them has the best shot at succeeding as an entrepreneur.
What Makes a Good Entrepreneur?
We have found many traits that correlate positively with entrepreneurship. Here is a sampling of some major traits:
Professional Experience
You don't have to drop out of college to be a successful founder. Our data shows that 34+ year-olds with domain expertise and management experience have the advantage.
High Fluid Intelligence
Can you quickly learn a rule set and apply it to solve a novel problem? With a constantly changing playing field, founders must recognize patterns and quickly adapt to survive.
High Openness
Are you constantly seeking new experiences and knowledge? Does your curiosity cause you to challenge accepted norms? The best entrepreneurs seek change - not the status quo.
Moderate Agreeableness
Can you balance cooperation with antagonism? Are you generally warm and considerate, but straightforward and harsh when necessary? The best equipped founders are flexible.
Bad Founder DNA
Some traits can limit you as an entrepreneur. For example:
Predatory Aggressiveness
Excuse-Making
Deceit
Emotional Instability
Narcissism
Irrelevant DNA
Some major traits have no correlation with entrepreneurship, such as:
I.Q.
As surprising as it may sound, we have seen no correlation between I.Q. and founder success. So much so, we removed I.Q. from our assessment several versions ago.
Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness measures the responsibility and industriousness of a candidate, but we have not seen a strong correlation with success.
Typical Entrepreneur DNA Profiles
Working with social scientists, we analyzed the assessment scores for successful founders. The majority of these founders fit into nine main 'personality profiles'
The Hustler
This person is a go-getter. With an outgoing personality and a presence that exudes confidence, they can sell just about anything.
The Innovator
Armed with an adventurous and forward-thinking attitude, Innovators are all about experimenting with the old and exploring the new.
The Machine
Equipped with a strong sense of duty and an aptitude for solving problems, The Machine always delivers a product on schedule.
The Prodigy
The Prodigy is blessed with an inherent business sense and instinct, and leverages these skills across all facets.
The Strategist
A creative and tactical thinker, The Strategist is always coming up with effective and efficient game plans.
The Visionary
The Visionary is constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ideas, and devising new ways to put them into action.
The Architect
With thoughtful planning and disciplined thinking, Architects have a natural ability to execute on great visions.
The Inventor
Inventors are constantly uncovering unique market insights that keep them one step ahead of the competition.
The Achiever
The Achiever simply refuses to lose, and will work night and day to ensure that they don't.
Take the Assessment
Apply to the Columbus Founder Institute and immediately get your Entrepreneur DNA Report Preview
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 7,500 entrepreneurs raise over $1.85BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.
