An age old question for anyone who has considered starting a company is – Have I got what it takes? In May’s Harvard Business Review Blog, Daniel Isenberg offers a quick 16 question quiz to gain insight into your potential success as an entrepreneur. His opinion is that scoring strongly in two key areas: sales ability and attitude are keys to success as a start-up leader. You must be able to “think big” while also convincing people, such as investors, colleagues, new hires, strategic partners and customers that your plan is practical and implementable. Having that “can do” attitude to navigate challenging situations can make the difference between success and failure.
This week, there is a great opportunity to learn from other entrepreneurs who have been successful in life sciences start-ups in the Boston area. On June 5, The Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center is hosting their annual Life Science Innovation Conference at the Harvard Club. Organizers say, “This is a high-energy, hands-on event which brings together scientific leaders and business experts to mingle with scientists, post-docs, professors, entrepreneurs, innovators, and venture capitalists.” I have attended in past years, and have always been impressed and intrigued with the myriad of ideas presented. This year the theme is “Business as usual or brave new world?” Speakers will discuss the current state of the industry and predictions for the future. Specific topics will include: how entrepreneurs have raised money in the last year, what are the successful habits of a winning start-ups as well as a discussion of virtual models. I hope to see you there.