What you’ll learn to do: identify the common traits of successful entrepreneurs

Free enterprise or entrepreneurship is ingrained in both the American legal system and psyche. There is a cultural ideal that people will be rewarded equitably for the work they put forth (though it’s certainly up for debate how accurately this ideal reflects reality). This ideal is often what prompts entrepreneurship: the idea that one person can work hard enough to make a good idea a successful company, product, or service.

Although one’s “entrepreneurial DNA” and definition of success may vary, entrepreneurship is universally an act of self-actualization. In this section, we’ll explore what it means to be an entrepreneur, from definition to categories, traits, and motivation.