In venture capital, identifying the right founders can make or break an investment. While there’s no magic formula for predicting a founder’s success, research and experience reveal key traits that are common among top-performing entrepreneurs. At Metis Ventures, we’ve always been interested in understanding what separates great founders from the rest. Drawing from insights in the different global studies and our own experience, we’ve identified the top attributes to look for when evaluating founders. Endeavor published one of the most accessible and insightful studies on these attributes. This post will cover five essential attributes derived from our experience and the 'Endeavor Unicorn Founder Pathway' study, offering actionable insights into evaluating founders.

Resource: Endeavor Unicorn Founder Pathways

1. Previous Entrepreneurial Experience

According to the Endeavor Pathways Study, one of the most telling predictors of a founder’s future success is whether they’ve already started or worked at another entrepreneurial company. More than 50% of unicorn founders in the study had previous entrepreneurial experience before launching their unicorn company. Furthermore, prior to that experience they have worked at an entrepreneurial company. These individuals often learn valuable lessons from their earlier ventures—whether they succeeded or failed—giving them a unique advantage in navigating the challenges of building a scalable business.

2. Strong Technical or Product Expertise

A significant number of unicorn founders have backgrounds in product or engineering roles. Founders who understand their product deeply can make better decisions regarding development, scaling, and differentiation. In the Endeavor Study, founders with product or engineering expertise either through education or previous roles were prevalent, particularly among US unicorns. Also, they often came from Big 5 tech companies or other engineering-heavy environments.

3. Prior Experience at High-Growth Companies

Founders who have worked at high-growth companies—whether startups or major tech companies—tend to be better equipped to scale their own ventures. They’ve seen firsthand what it takes to go from early stages to significant growth, and they bring that knowledge to their own startups. The Endeavor Study noted that unicorn founders in emerging markets were particularly likely to have consulting experience, while those in the US more often came from tech giants like Google or Amazon.

4. International Experience or Perspective

Unicorn founders often have an international perspective—either through studying, working, or migrating abroad. This experience broadens their understanding of global markets, consumer behavior, and business environments. Founders with international exposure tend to think big from the start, aiming to scale across borders and address large, diverse markets.

5. Education from Elite or Non-Traditional Backgrounds

While many assume that elite education is a requirement for success, the Endeavor Pathways Study found that this isn’t always the case. In fact, only one-third of unicorn founders attended an elite university. More importantly, these founders displayed a wide variety of educational backgrounds. A strong mix of science/engineering and business degrees was common, but many successful founders had non-traditional educational paths as well.

How Metis Ventures Applies These Attributes

At Metis Ventures, we also believe that:

•Founders who’ve already "been in the trenches" tend to have more resilience, practical business knowledge, and a greater ability to pivot when necessary.

•Technical expertise is a critical asset for founders, particularly in tech-driven industries where innovation is key.

•Exposure to high-pressure environments helps founders develop strong operational skills and the ability to manage teams in fast-paced, high-growth settings

•Whether it’s having studied abroad or worked in different markets, founders with a global mindset are better positioned to scale their companies internationally.

•Although an elite university is thought to be better for higher funding rounds, we find that it's not about where they studied but how they apply their knowledge to solve problems, lead teams, and create innovation.

•Founders who can adapt to challenges and setbacks are far more likely to succeed.

In conclusion, finding the right founder is an art as much as it is a science. At Metis Ventures, we look for a blend of experience, technical skills, and resilience. By refining our understanding of these traits, we aimed to not only identify exceptional founders but also support them in reaching their full potential.

By incorporating these attributes into their evaluation process, teams can significantly improve their ability to identify founders with the skills, vision, and resilience required to achieve lasting success.

Stay tuned for more insights as we continue to explore next time that what makes a great team and how we apply these lessons in our investment strategy.

Read more on the Endeavor study here.