Question
Assuming subjects and skills refer to book-learned knowledge rather than life experience:
I'm trying to decide what to study in college or through MOOCs like those offered by EdX or Coursera or whether or not I should choose a business or a non-business major. I am trying to decide what to focus on. If I self-studied instead, I wouldn't have any debt from my degree but could still need a degree for other reasons.
What specific topics are essential for entrepreneurs to know? For example, there's a lot to learn as a finance major and I'm not sure which topics would be relevant for entrepreneurship.
I've tried thinking about it in other ways, for example: "What should a successful entrepreneur/CEO be able to do?" and tried to figure out which subjects will teach me the skills I'll need to achieve those goals.
Answer
Picking the right Partner!
Here are the 8 qualities you should watch for while deciding on a partnership with a co-founder for your startup.
1. A good partner has the life-design that fits being in a startup (can spare the time, energy, focus and finances required)
2. A good partner shares the problem (sees the world in the same unique way)
3. A good partner has depth of knowledge on at least one topic related to the startup (you find yourself learning new things in each encounter)
4. A good partner values good execution over genius ideas (knows success is more dependent on doing hard work and the teams’ problem solving capacity rather than the ingenuity of ideas)
Hint: Here is a litmus test. Ask your potential partner what she thinks has made the well-known startups successful. If the answer is among the realms of “a genius idea”, or “luck” take these as warning signs.
5. A good partner focuses on increasing the quality of decisions (honestly prefers reaching better business decisions rather than ‘being right’)
6. A good partner listens to you (open to learning from you and enjoys discussing ideas even when their direct impact on the business is not apparent)
7. A good partner is intrinsically motivated (follows-up on her tasks without external reminders and volunteers for open tasks)
8. A good partner is a life-long learner (sees the big picture, values design-thinking, quick to grasp abstract concepts, can change her ideas when presented with the right data)
Listen to the podcast where I talk about these: http://commonwisdom.co.uk/8-principles-for-picking-the-right-co-founder-for-your-startup-podcast/
