The Myth of the In the world of startups, there's a pervasive myth that the most successful founders are singular geniuses - brilliant individuals with unparalleled expertise in one specific domain. We idolize the coding prodigy who builds a billion-dollar app from their dorm room, or the visionary inventor who disrupts an entire industry with a groundbreaking device.
But the reality is, this "genius founder" archetype is more fiction than fact. When we look at the data on what actually drives startup success, a different picture emerges - one where a founder's ability to integrate knowledge across multiple domains matters far more than their depth of expertise in any single area.
The Jack-of-All-Trades Advantage
Research consistently shows that the most effective startup founders are generalists, not specialists. A study by researchers at Aalto University and the University of Southern California found that successful founders tend to have a diverse set of skills spanning business, technology, and leadership domains.[1]
Rather than being world-class experts in one narrow field, top founders are competent across the board - they're proficient in areas like product development, marketing, finance, and people management. This broad skill set allows them to tackle the wide range of challenges involved in getting a new venture off the ground.
As entrepreneur and investor Jack Altman notes, "The most successful founders are almost always the most well-rounded people in their company. They have a working knowledge of every aspect of their business, from sales to engineering to customer support. They're not necessarily the best at any one thing, but they know enough to hire the right people and ask the right questions."[2]
This jack-of-all-trades profile makes sense when we consider the unique demands of the founder role. In the early stages of a startup, the founder often has to wear many hats - they're simultaneously the CEO, CTO, head of sales, and chief bottle washer. There simply aren't enough resources to hire specialists for every function.
Even as a startup scales and brings on dedicated experts, the founder still needs to be able to communicate effectively with all the different parts of the organization, spot issues and opportunities that cut across domains, and make high-level strategic decisions. Extreme specialization can actually be a handicap in this context.
The Primacy of Soft Skills
If a diverse skill set is the foundation of founder success, what's the mortar that holds it all together? Increasingly, research points to emotional intelligence (EQ) as the secret sauce.
A study by the University of Toronto and the University of Pennsylvania found that a founder's EQ - their ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions - was a stronger predictor of startup success than either general mental ability (IQ) or domain expertise.[3]
This makes intuitive sense. Starting a company is an intensely human endeavor. It requires inspiring a team, selling a vision to investors and customers, and navigating the inevitable conflicts and crises that arise. All of these challenges are fundamentally about emotions - and a founder with high EQ is better equipped to handle them.
Other key soft skills like resilience, adaptability, and a growth mindset have also been linked to founder success. Starting a company is a roller coaster ride full of setbacks and pivots. Founders need the mental toughness to persevere through the lows and the flexibility to change course when the data dictates.
As Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, puts it: "We learned quickly that the most important quality in a founder is determination. Not intelligence - determination."
The Limits of Raw Smarts
This isn't to say that intelligence is irrelevant for founders. But the research suggests that above a certain baseline level of cognitive ability, other factors start to matter more.
A study of over 700 startups by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that successful founders tended to have moderately high IQs - around the 75th percentile. But beyond that threshold, higher IQ didn't correlate with better outcomes. The authors concluded that "extreme intelligence was neither necessary nor sufficient for entrepreneurial success."
What mattered more, they found, were traits like openness to experience, conscientiousness, and moderate risk-taking. In other words, a founder doesn't need to be a genius - but they do need to be curious, hardworking, and willing to take calculated bets.
This aligns with anecdotal evidence from many iconic founders. Steve Jobs, for instance, was known more for his creativity, taste, and relentless drive than for his raw intelligence. In Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs, Bill Gates is quoted as saying: "I don't think either of us had a real idea of what IQ is, but Steve was not exceptional in that area. What made him really smart was his curiosity."
Cultivating a Founder's Mindset
So if diverse skills and emotional intelligence are the key ingredients of founder success, how can aspiring entrepreneurs cultivate these qualities? The good news is that both can be developed with practice.
On the skills front, would-be founders should seek out opportunities to gain hands-on experience across different business functions. This could mean taking on stretch assignments at work, volunteering for cross-functional projects, or even starting a side hustle. The goal is to build a working knowledge of the key pieces of the startup puzzle.
Importantly, this learning process never stops. Even experienced founders need to continuously update their skills as technologies and markets evolve. A commitment to lifelong learning is a must.
Developing EQ and related soft skills is often more challenging, as it requires shifting deep-seated mindsets and behaviors. But it can be done. Practices like mindfulness meditation, active listening, and seeking out candid feedback can help build self-awareness and empathy over time. Coaching and mentorship from experienced leaders can also be invaluable.
Perhaps most critically, aspiring founders need to cultivate a growth mindset - a belief that their abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. This means reframing failures and setbacks as learning opportunities, and persistently seeking out new challenges. With a growth mindset, the myth of the "genius founder" loses its power - anyone can improve their skills and EQ with sufficient effort.
Redefining Founder Potential
Ultimately, debunking the myth of the genius founder is about expanding our collective notion of who has the potential to build a successful startup. When we fixate on singular brilliance as the key to entrepreneurial achievement, we risk overlooking a wealth of talented founders who may not fit that narrow mold.
The research is clear: what makes a great founder isn't an off-the-charts IQ or world-class expertise in one domain. It's a combination of wide-ranging competence, emotional intelligence, and key character traits like resilience and curiosity. These are qualities that can be cultivated by anyone with sufficient drive and commitment.
So to all the aspiring founders out there who may feel daunted by the myth of the genius entrepreneur - take heart. You don't need to be a prodigy to build something great. Focus on honing a diverse skill set, developing your EQ, and staying relentlessly committed to your vision. That's the real formula for startup success.
References: [1] https://visionxpartners.com/the-7-most-important-skills-for-startup-founders/ [2] https://www.alphajwc.com/en/startup-founder-skill-set/
[3] https://www.startupgrind.com/blog/3-types-of-intelligence-every-startup-founder-needs/https://www.forbes.com/sites/heatherfarmbrough/2019/06/03/new-report-identifies-key-characteristics-of-successful-startup-entrepreneurs/?sh=6f6440b821d3https://paulgraham.com/founders.htmlhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-41980-y Walter Isaacson, "Steve Jobs" (2011) https://hbr.org/2022/01/ask-an-expert-what-skills-do-i-need-to-run-a-startup Carol Dweck, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" (2006)
Sources [1] The 7 Most Important Skills for Startup Founders - VisionX Partners https://visionxpartners.com/the-7-most-important-skills-for-startup-founders/ [2] 10 Skills That Every Startup Founder Must Have https://www.alphajwc.com/en/startup-founder-skill-set/ [3] 5 Skills Startup Founders must have (with Development Resources) - TBDC https://www.tbdc.com/5-skills-start-up-founders-must-have-with-development-resources/