6 traits successful entrepreneurs share 6個成功企業家共有的特性
Updated 1550 GMT (2350 HKT) March 11, 2015
(CNN)As a writer at The
Idea Village in New Orleans, I've interviewed dozens of entrepreneurs, ranging
from new founders of fledgling companies to seasoned leaders who have launched
several successful businesses. On occasion, I walk out of an interview
believing that entrepreneur will change the world. Other times, not so much.
身為紐奧良的The Idea Village的作家，我曾訪問過許多企業家，範圍從初創公司的新創始者到曾開展許多成功業務的老練領導者，有時候，在一場訪談結束後，我會覺得企業家將會改變世界，但大部份的時間，我懷疑。
Somewhere between
"Shark Tank" and the myriad Silicon Valley success stories, the idea
of entrepreneurship has become glamorous -- even sexy. But ask anyone who has
worked in the trenches of the startup world, and they will quickly wave away
that notion. The stark reality is that being an entrepreneur is arduous and
daunting.
《創智贏家》（Shark Tank）(註一)到無數個矽谷的成功故事，企業家已然變成了一個迷人甚至可以用性感來形容的身份，但問任何一個在初創世界的戰壕工作的人，他們將會對於這個想法表示反對，而赤裸裸的事實是，當一位企業家是困難且讓人怯步的事情。
Yet for those who are
willing to take the path less traveled and commit their lives to one idea, or
several ideas, it can be extremely rewarding. So what is the stuff that
successful entrepreneurs are made of? How do you define that certain je ne sais
quoi that enables an entrepreneur to convince skeptics their idea is the next
big thing? Moreover, what allows those entrepreneurs to take their idea and
turn it into a profitable company?
然而對於那些願意選擇一條人煙稀少的路且把自己的生命託付給一個想法或是數個想法的人，創業可以是非常具報酬的，所以成功的企業家具備了什麼樣的條件？要如何來定義一個企業家那種能讓說服那些懷疑他的人們他的想法是下一個大趨勢的難以言喻的特質？此外，是什麼讓那些企業家去實踐他們的構想並讓構想轉化成一間能夠賺錢的公司呢？
They're
persistent他們很堅持
Launching a startup is a
marathon, not a sprint. It requires stamina, and you have to be fit to sustain
the lifestyle. Founders inevitably come up against failure on a daily basis.
While some ideas work, more often they don't. You try, fail, and try again.
Nine to five? Forget
about it. Most startup teams clock 80 to 90 hours a week in the launch phase.
As one tech entrepreneur recently told me, having an idea is just the first
step on a long road. You have to have the intestinal fortitude to put your head
down and get through the process.
投入一個新創公司是一場馬拉松，不是短跑，需要耐力，而且你必須讓自己能夠禁得起那樣的生活方式，創辦人每天一定會遇到失敗的事，有些計劃行得通，但更多時候是行不通的，你嘗試，面臨失敗，然後再試一次。朝九晚五？別想了，大部份初創公司的團隊在剛創立的階段每週要花上80到90個小時，最近有一位科技產業的企業家告訴我，有一個構想只是這條漫漫長路的第一步而已，你必須要有勇氣埋頭苦幹撐過這段過程。
They're
adaptive他們有很強的適應能力
The startup world can be
a jungle, and the most successful entrepreneurs have a keen ability to quickly
adapt to their habitat. So much can change from the inception of an idea to the
final product -- unforeseen problems arise; the market changes; demand changes.
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that and are willing to try a different
approach when something isn't working. In startup jargon, it's called pivoting.
They can duck, dodge, dive to escape the metaphorical bullets of the
entrepreneurial landscape while remaining laser-focused.
One local entrepreneur
admitted to me without hesitation that being a pioneer is terrifying because it
means you don't have a road map. As a founder, you have to become a jack of all
trades. You are the manager, the IT department, the marketing department, and
somewhere in between all of that, you have to get your work done.
初創公司的世界是一座叢林，而大部份成功的企業家都擁有能夠快速適應它們的棲息地的敏銳能力，從一個構想的初期到最後的成品之間有太多的變數可能會發生--意料之外的問題產生；市場改變；需求改變，成功的企業家能夠察覺而且當某項計劃行不通時會願意試著採取不同的途徑，如果用初創世界的術語來說的話，就叫做「pivoting」(指創業時的關鍵轉折、關鍵轉向)，他們能夠用各種方式逃離創業情景會遇到的像子彈一般的事件單同時又能持續專注在正在進行的計劃上，一位當地的企業家毫不遲疑地承認：當一位創始者非常的可怕，因為那表示你沒有前人畫的地圖引導你，身為一位創始人，你必須要變成萬能的人，你身兼管理人、資訊科技部門、行銷部門還有需要處理各部門之間大大小小的事，你需要有能力將所有的工作完成。
They're
risk takers他們願意承擔風險
Entrepreneurs are, above
all, risk takers. They are willing to part ways with a job that offers a plush
salary and benefits to pursue their idea or business. Or they start with
nothing -- and no guarantee. We often hear entrepreneurs' grandiose success
stories, but we don't always hear about the long, tumultuous journeys that led
them there. I once asked a solo founder about the scariest part of being an
entrepreneur. He told me about the time his funds were dwindling and his wife
called him from the grocery store checkout line to inform him their credit card
had been declined. Now that's real.
企業家最需要具備的條件就是願意承擔風險，他們願意半途放棄一個能給他們豪華薪水和利益的工作去追尋他的計劃和事業，或是在沒有人擔保會成功的情況下從零開始，我們常常聽到企業家浮誇的成功故事，但我們不常聽到他們一路走來漫長且紛亂讓他們走到有今天成就的旅程，我有一次問一位獨立創業者當一位企業家最恐怖的部分，他告訴我大概是那時他的資金逐漸減少，他的老婆把他從雜貨店的結賬隊伍中叫他出來，通知他他們的信用卡被拒絕了，當下他才真正感受到他面臨的困境。
They're
imaginative doers他們是想像力的執行者
After working with
several fledgling companies early in his career, Andrew Yang started to believe
entrepreneurship could solve many of the problems plaguing both the economy and
young professionals. So what did he do? Yang created Venture for America,
a nonprofit organization based on the Teach for America model, that recruits
top college graduates to work for two years at emerging startups and
early-stage companies in lower-cost cities like New Orleans, Detroit and
Cleveland. Venture for America now has fellows working with startups in 12
cities across the United States. Entrepreneurs see the world differently. Where
other people see problems, they see opportunities. But it's one thing to have a
great idea -- it's a whole other thing to see that idea through. Successful
entrepreneurs don't just dream; they're willing to go out and create solutions.
早期他和幾個剛起步的公司合作過之後，Andrew Yang開始相信企業家這個身份能解決很多折磨著目前經濟和年輕又具有專業技能的年輕人們的問題，所以他做了什麼呢？Yang創造了Venture for America，一個遵循著Teach
for America模式的非營利組織，招募頂尖大學的畢業生到位在薪水較低的城市像是紐奧良、底特律和克里夫蘭新興的初創公司或著剛起步的公司工作兩年，Venture for America現在有夥伴們在美國12個城市中的初創公司工作，創業家看這世界的方式不一樣，別人看到問題，他們看到機會，但有一個很棒的構想是一回事，徹底地貫徹一個構想又是另外一回事，成功的企業假不會只是做夢；他們願意起身並創造解決的方法。
They're
confident他們很有自信
At our hub, we have a
saying plastered on the walls: Trust Your Crazy Ideas. It's the foundation for
the work we do with every entrepreneur who walks through our doors. Every
successful entrepreneur who built a great enterprise started with a crazy idea.
Here's a simple question:
Who is the first innovator who comes to mind when you think about
entrepreneurship? I would venture to say that whoever you thought of, at any
given point in his or her life, someone called that person crazy. Entrepreneurs
face doubt, not only from others but also from themselves. It's those
entrepreneurs who are confident enough to believe in their ideas, and stick
with them, that change the world.
在我們的中心的牆上寫著一句話：相信你瘋狂的想法，這是我們跟每一位走進我們的門的企業家工作的基礎，每一位建造優秀企業的成功企業家都是以瘋狂的想法開始的，問你一個簡單的問題：當你在想企業家時，誰是第一個出現在你腦海中的創新者？我敢說不管你想到誰，在他或她的人生中，曾經有人說這個人是瘋子，企業家正視懷疑，不管是他人的懷疑還是對他們自己的懷疑，改變這世界的那些企業家，是那些有足夠自信相信他們的想法並堅持下去的人。
They're
trustworthy他們值得信任
In the startup world, the
success of an entrepreneur often hinges on building trust. Whether they're
pitching to venture capitalists, accelerator program managers or potential
future customers, entrepreneurs are essentially selling an idea or product that
doesn't yet exist. It's all based on assumptions. Time and time again, I've
heard the words, "People don't invest in companies, they invest in
people." Investors are constantly being pitched by entrepreneurs eager for
capital. Before they can persuade someone to sign a check and infuse a
startup's lean bank account, entrepreneurs must first convince the investor
that they can be trusted.
After all, investors
aren't doling out big bucks for charity. They are making long-term investments,
and they want to know that their money is in good hands.
在初創公司的世界，一個企業家的成功經常是取決于信任的建立，不管他們將自己向投機資本家、創投加速計劃經理或是未來潛在客戶推銷，企業家必然都得要賣一個尚未存在的商品或想法，一切都是在假設的基礎上，我一再地聽到這句話「人們不是投資公司，他們投資人。」，投資人時常會被渴望資金的企業家們鎖定，在他們能夠說服某個人簽下支票並匯入初創公司空空的銀行賬戶前，企業家首先必須讓投資人相信他是可以被信賴的，畢竟，投資人不是在發放一大筆錢做公益，他們是在做長期的投資，而且他們想要知道他們的錢是交付在可靠公司手上。
(註一) Shark
Tank 創智贏家，是美國ABC電視台的財經類真人秀節目。
6 traits successful entrepreneurs share
Updated 1550 GMT (2350 HKT) March 11, 2015
(CNN)As a writer at The
Idea Village in New Orleans, I've interviewed dozens of entrepreneurs, ranging
from new founders of fledgling companies to seasoned leaders who have launched
several successful businesses. On occasion, I walk out of an interview
believing that entrepreneur will change the world. Other times, not so much.
身為紐奧良的The Idea Village的作家，我曾訪問過許多企業家，範圍從初創公司的新創始者到曾開展許多成功業務的老練領導者，有時候，在一場訪談結束後，我會覺得企業家將會改變世界，但大部份的時間，我懷疑。
Somewhere between
"Shark Tank" and the myriad Silicon Valley success stories, the idea
of entrepreneurship has become glamorous -- even sexy. But ask anyone who has
worked in the trenches of the startup world, and they will quickly wave away
that notion. The stark reality is that being an entrepreneur is arduous and
daunting.
《創智贏家》（Shark Tank）(註一)到無數個矽谷的成功故事，企業家已然變成了一個迷人甚至可以用性感來形容的身份，但問任何一個在初創世界的戰壕工作的人，他們將會對於這個想法表示反對，而赤裸裸的事實是，當一位企業家是困難且讓人怯步的事情。
Yet for those who are
willing to take the path less traveled and commit their lives to one idea, or
several ideas, it can be extremely rewarding. So what is the stuff that
successful entrepreneurs are made of? How do you define that certain je ne sais
quoi that enables an entrepreneur to convince skeptics their idea is the next
big thing? Moreover, what allows those entrepreneurs to take their idea and
turn it into a profitable company?
然而對於那些願意選擇一條人煙稀少的路且把自己的生命託付給一個想法或是數個想法的人，創業可以是非常具報酬的，所以成功的企業家具備了什麼樣的條件？要如何來定義一個企業家那種能讓說服那些懷疑他的人們他的想法是下一個大趨勢的難以言喻的特質？此外，是什麼讓那些企業家去實踐他們的構想並讓構想轉化成一間能夠賺錢的公司呢？
They're
persistent他們很堅持
Launching a startup is a
marathon, not a sprint. It requires stamina, and you have to be fit to sustain
the lifestyle. Founders inevitably come up against failure on a daily basis.
While some ideas work, more often they don't. You try, fail, and try again.
Nine to five? Forget
about it. Most startup teams clock 80 to 90 hours a week in the launch phase.
As one tech entrepreneur recently told me, having an idea is just the first
step on a long road. You have to have the intestinal fortitude to put your head
down and get through the process.
投入一個新創公司是一場馬拉松，不是短跑，需要耐力，而且你必須讓自己能夠禁得起那樣的生活方式，創辦人每天一定會遇到失敗的事，有些計劃行得通，但更多時候是行不通的，你嘗試，面臨失敗，然後再試一次。朝九晚五？別想了，大部份初創公司的團隊在剛創立的階段每週要花上80到90個小時，最近有一位科技產業的企業家告訴我，有一個構想只是這條漫漫長路的第一步而已，你必須要有勇氣埋頭苦幹撐過這段過程。
They're
adaptive他們有很強的適應能力
The startup world can be
a jungle, and the most successful entrepreneurs have a keen ability to quickly
adapt to their habitat. So much can change from the inception of an idea to the
final product -- unforeseen problems arise; the market changes; demand changes.
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that and are willing to try a different
approach when something isn't working. In startup jargon, it's called pivoting.
They can duck, dodge, dive to escape the metaphorical bullets of the
entrepreneurial landscape while remaining laser-focused.
One local entrepreneur
admitted to me without hesitation that being a pioneer is terrifying because it
means you don't have a road map. As a founder, you have to become a jack of all
trades. You are the manager, the IT department, the marketing department, and
somewhere in between all of that, you have to get your work done.
初創公司的世界是一座叢林，而大部份成功的企業家都擁有能夠快速適應它們的棲息地的敏銳能力，從一個構想的初期到最後的成品之間有太多的變數可能會發生--意料之外的問題產生；市場改變；需求改變，成功的企業家能夠察覺而且當某項計劃行不通時會願意試著採取不同的途徑，如果用初創世界的術語來說的話，就叫做「pivoting」(指創業時的關鍵轉折、關鍵轉向)，他們能夠用各種方式逃離創業情景會遇到的像子彈一般的事件單同時又能持續專注在正在進行的計劃上，一位當地的企業家毫不遲疑地承認：當一位創始者非常的可怕，因為那表示你沒有前人畫的地圖引導你，身為一位創始人，你必須要變成萬能的人，你身兼管理人、資訊科技部門、行銷部門還有需要處理各部門之間大大小小的事，你需要有能力將所有的工作完成。
They're
risk takers他們願意承擔風險
Entrepreneurs are, above
all, risk takers. They are willing to part ways with a job that offers a plush
salary and benefits to pursue their idea or business. Or they start with
nothing -- and no guarantee. We often hear entrepreneurs' grandiose success
stories, but we don't always hear about the long, tumultuous journeys that led
them there. I once asked a solo founder about the scariest part of being an
entrepreneur. He told me about the time his funds were dwindling and his wife
called him from the grocery store checkout line to inform him their credit card
had been declined. Now that's real.
企業家最需要具備的條件就是願意承擔風險，他們願意半途放棄一個能給他們豪華薪水和利益的工作去追尋他的計劃和事業，或是在沒有人擔保會成功的情況下從零開始，我們常常聽到企業家浮誇的成功故事，但我們不常聽到他們一路走來漫長且紛亂讓他們走到有今天成就的旅程，我有一次問一位獨立創業者當一位企業家最恐怖的部分，他告訴我大概是那時他的資金逐漸減少，他的老婆把他從雜貨店的結賬隊伍中叫他出來，通知他他們的信用卡被拒絕了，當下他才真正感受到他面臨的困境。
They're
imaginative doers他們是想像力的執行者
After working with
several fledgling companies early in his career, Andrew Yang started to believe
entrepreneurship could solve many of the problems plaguing both the economy and
young professionals. So what did he do? Yang created Venture for America,
a nonprofit organization based on the Teach for America model, that recruits
top college graduates to work for two years at emerging startups and
early-stage companies in lower-cost cities like New Orleans, Detroit and
Cleveland. Venture for America now has fellows working with startups in 12
cities across the United States. Entrepreneurs see the world differently. Where
other people see problems, they see opportunities. But it's one thing to have a
great idea -- it's a whole other thing to see that idea through. Successful
entrepreneurs don't just dream; they're willing to go out and create solutions.
早期他和幾個剛起步的公司合作過之後，Andrew Yang開始相信企業家這個身份能解決很多折磨著目前經濟和年輕又具有專業技能的年輕人們的問題，所以他做了什麼呢？Yang創造了Venture for America，一個遵循著Teach
for America模式的非營利組織，招募頂尖大學的畢業生到位在薪水較低的城市像是紐奧良、底特律和克里夫蘭新興的初創公司或著剛起步的公司工作兩年，Venture for America現在有夥伴們在美國12個城市中的初創公司工作，創業家看這世界的方式不一樣，別人看到問題，他們看到機會，但有一個很棒的構想是一回事，徹底地貫徹一個構想又是另外一回事，成功的企業假不會只是做夢；他們願意起身並創造解決的方法。
They're
confident他們很有自信
At our hub, we have a
saying plastered on the walls: Trust Your Crazy Ideas. It's the foundation for
the work we do with every entrepreneur who walks through our doors. Every
successful entrepreneur who built a great enterprise started with a crazy idea.
Here's a simple question:
Who is the first innovator who comes to mind when you think about
entrepreneurship? I would venture to say that whoever you thought of, at any
given point in his or her life, someone called that person crazy. Entrepreneurs
face doubt, not only from others but also from themselves. It's those
entrepreneurs who are confident enough to believe in their ideas, and stick
with them, that change the world.
在我們的中心的牆上寫著一句話：相信你瘋狂的想法，這是我們跟每一位走進我們的門的企業家工作的基礎，每一位建造優秀企業的成功企業家都是以瘋狂的想法開始的，問你一個簡單的問題：當你在想企業家時，誰是第一個出現在你腦海中的創新者？我敢說不管你想到誰，在他或她的人生中，曾經有人說這個人是瘋子，企業家正視懷疑，不管是他人的懷疑還是對他們自己的懷疑，改變這世界的那些企業家，是那些有足夠自信相信他們的想法並堅持下去的人。
They're
trustworthy他們值得信任
In the startup world, the
success of an entrepreneur often hinges on building trust. Whether they're
pitching to venture capitalists, accelerator program managers or potential
future customers, entrepreneurs are essentially selling an idea or product that
doesn't yet exist. It's all based on assumptions. Time and time again, I've
heard the words, "People don't invest in companies, they invest in
people." Investors are constantly being pitched by entrepreneurs eager for
capital. Before they can persuade someone to sign a check and infuse a
startup's lean bank account, entrepreneurs must first convince the investor
that they can be trusted.
After all, investors
aren't doling out big bucks for charity. They are making long-term investments,
and they want to know that their money is in good hands.
在初創公司的世界，一個企業家的成功經常是取決于信任的建立，不管他們將自己向投機資本家、創投加速計劃經理或是未來潛在客戶推銷，企業家必然都得要賣一個尚未存在的商品或想法，一切都是在假設的基礎上，我一再地聽到這句話「人們不是投資公司，他們投資人。」，投資人時常會被渴望資金的企業家們鎖定，在他們能夠說服某個人簽下支票並匯入初創公司空空的銀行賬戶前，企業家首先必須讓投資人相信他是可以被信賴的，畢竟，投資人不是在發放一大筆錢做公益，他們是在做長期的投資，而且他們想要知道他們的錢是交付在可靠公司手上。
(註一) Shark
Tank 創智贏家，是美國ABC電視台的財經類真人秀節目。
原文網址：http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/11/tech/traits-successful-entrepreneurs/index.html
原文網址：http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/11/tech/traits-successful-entrepreneurs/index.html
