It is key to understand what type of entrepreneur an incubator is supporting in order to cater to their specific needs. Do they need to develop their awareness of opportunities or their capacity to engage with the right ecosystem? The profiles are based on three key families of behaviours which have been proven to be critical for entrepreneurs to succeed:
3 Key behaviours
- STABILITY / The capacity to rely on self whatever the context or events.
- OPENNESS / The capacity to consider perspectives other than his own (on self, project, market, and environment).
- ENGAGEMENT / The capacity to act and lead others.
For each of these families, there are 3 to 4 main described behaviours such as resilience in facing stress and failure, listening to other points of view, autonomous decision-making, etc.
Ideally, an entrepreneur would have all 3 families well represented, but let’s face it they are not superheroes, and nobody’s perfect. So below are the 6 realistic profiles with one or two behaviour families represented:
The profiles
The most straightforward and archetypal profiles are as follows:
The Templar (Soe)
The entrepreneur “Templar” goes through obstacles easily and is reassuring for investors and teams. He can, however, be rigid and find it difficult to deal with changes and question himself.
The Explorer (sOe)
To an “Explorer” startuper, there are always more options and possibilities; he finds solutions quickly and can see opportunities. However, he can be dispersed and indecisive, which can trouble or lose a team and investors.
The Ambassador (soE)
The “Ambassador” can materialise and implement the project. He is reassuring to investors and can easily onboard teams and partners. However, he can lose motivation and possibly give up the project if there are too many hurdles and insufficient recognition.
And then it gets more interesting with subtle but very significant variations:
The Experienced Strategist (SOe)
He/she has a good balance between authenticity and adaptability. The “Experienced strategist” knows the DNA of the project, which is in coherence with his personal values. She knows how to choose the right opportunities and stays open to suggestions. He may find it difficult to attract the resources and partners necessary for the project. It is important to know how to connect with others and give them a place in the project.
The Charismatic Surfer (sOE)
The “charismatic Surfer” can adapt easily and stays open to his environment. He has a strong connection to his ecosystem and can implement the project. He may find it difficult to hear criticisms, however constructive, and generally lacks stability. Through extreme self-questioning, he risks losing the project’s DNA. He is not usually very reassuring to investors.
The 5-Star General (SoE)
The “General” is reliable and dynamic, confident and proactive. She can manage people and resources. But through a lack of openness to opportunities and a lack of flexibility in the orientation of the project, she can be blind to warning signals.
Never forget...
Identifying the profile is only the start. It allows the entrepreneur to make better decisions for the project by choosing team members who will compensate for his flaws, developing himself to readjust his behaviour, and preventing some of the pitfalls which are directly linked to his profile.