The only 3 skills you really need to become a founder

People love to pretend there is a secret formula behind entrepreneurship!! There is none! Becoming a founder and building something great comes down to a few core skills….Not a framework!!

Just three skills that, if you develop them, give you everything you need to build. You cannot buy these skills.. They are simply things that only experience can teach you…

Pattern-recognition

Your ability to spot patterns will transfer over to every single part of your company and it is one of the most important skills you can develop as a founder.

And the way you develop this skillset is going to irk some of you…

You have to fail…fast! And lots.

That way your brain can start picking up on all of these little hints that you don’t even know it picks up on!

This will be useful ESPECIALLY when you are hiring….

Whenever I hire… I do not always look for the best resumes.I look for a chip on people’s shoulder. Because they have something to prove!! And that… tells me a lot about their work ethic. So while everyone chases resumes… I am chasing people who are in it to win it!

You are going to hate this next one:

Basic-level math

I have talked to hundreds of founders throughout my life and it is so easy to tell which ones are going to make it a little further and which ones aren’t.

If you do not know your numbers, you better get on that!

Business is a game. You move a few things around, you mess up, fail, and do it all over again until you get a little bit better.

In order to play the game, you have to understand it! Otherwise you are going to feel lost and scared. Here are things you should know:

- How much it costs to make your product

- How much you are selling everyday

- What percentage of people are coming back and buying from you again

- Margins

- How much people buy every time they shop

- ⁠Forecast vs. actuals

Business is a game, and the numbers are the rules.

And finally:

Optimism

Most people treat optimism like it is this magical thing you are born with…. It is not. Optimism is a skill… one you can practice and strengthen.

Now don’t think this is about having blind faith! You need grounded belief: the kind that comes from doing the work, studying the data, testing ideas, and choosing to try again even after setbacks.

Founders who climb far tend to share something in common: when fear kicks in, they don’t let it narrate the story.

When doubt shows up, they override it.

When the risk feels too big, they take a breath and move anyway!!

That is optimism doing its job.

You have to really believe you can do this thing. So if you are having a hard time with that, get yourself a Mariana!! She will believe in you!

Curtis Matsko - CEO & Founder of Portland Leather Goods