6 Skills That Can Help You Start a Tech Company

 By Ilan Nass of Fueled- an award-winning London-based app development company that builds amazing Android and iPhone apps.

Starting a tech company is not all about tech.

C+, Java, Python, and Javascript might be the foundations on which your idea runs but you don’t need to know coding or programming to run a successful tech start-up.

There’s no need to be an expert on technology but it helps not being entirely ignorant about it. In fact, business qualities are a lot more important than knowledge base.
When it comes to founding your own company, here are the six attributes that you’ll need to have if you want to succeed.

1. Networking Flair

Founders of New York start-up Huxxster had no engineering experience when they set out to make their shopping assistant site a reality. Their success is due to their ability to talk to anyone and everyone, consistently, for months to make as many connections as possible.

“Through that network, we were introduced to VCs who were able to give us feedback early on. We were introduced to some later-stage startup founders who have been mentors along the way,” the founders said.

Knowing how to work with others and when to listen to advice is crucial.

2. Believing in Others

The ability to execute an idea is exponentially more important than the idea itself. Investing in a team of experts that can move your idea into reality is of the utmost importance.

When hiring a team, the trick is to make sure that everyone that’s hired shares the same passion for the initiative at hand and not just people who are best suited for the job. Fostering a culture where ideas are valued and everyone has the opportunity to work on problems of genuine interest to them will drive growth faster internally.

Becoming the boss means honing your listening skills and in a the startup environment that’s doubly true. There’s no point in having a team that doesn’t raise concerns or offer criticisms, flattery won’t be able to lay a solid foundation for the beginning of a business. The team will want to see your idea flourish as much as you do, rather than let it be driven into the ground.

3. Believing in Yourself

Most startups fail but the important thing is to keep motivated if things start to going sour. Keep a positive attitude. Successful leaders believe not only in their products and their teams, but in themselves. This means knowing when to listen to doubts, when to work on fixing problems, and when to cut your losses. Be honest and clear about the expectations you have for yourself and your team.

4. Perspective

The most crucial characteristic of successful CEOs is that they can look at minute details and then to step back to see things from another perspective. Being able to see where the industry is headed and your business with it is essential. Fluidity during market changes will allow your business to seamlessly transition into whatever is next rather than lagging behind.

Larry Page did this when he returned to Google as CEO because, “he thought the company had over-diversified and wanted it to focus on doing fewer things effectively,” said Michael Yoshikami, CEO and founder of YCMNET Advisors.

It’s important to have clear ideas but to also know when to step in to make sure things continue going in the right direction.

5. Passion

Passion, passion, passion. It’s an incredibly overused word in business. Whatever you want to call it, drive, zeal, fervour, or joie de vivre, you have to have it. People that can generate that kind of enthusiasm in others are the ones that grab the attention of potential investors and attract the best staff.

Think of Steve Jobs. He was a very skilled public speaker, on top of being a design maverick, who was able to sell his vision by showing people why his products were not just hype and worth purchasing. Being able to communicate your passion will pay dividends when you’re starting your tech company.

6. Extra Interests

You might think that extra-curricular activities become distractions once you leave school, but the truth is that having diverse interests will help you to stay focused and even generate new ideas.

Former French President Sarkozy likes collecting stamps. Jean-Luc Robert, CEO of California based Kyriba, likes to jump out of helicopters. Richard Branson likes exploring untouched places like the deep sea and space.

Whatever your interests are, they might help you become a better businessperson too. Pursuing a hobby can help you with decision-making, systematic thinking, creativity and confidence. Stepping away from your own project and delving into other things can give you an edge. Workaholics with no outside interests are rarely as productive as they think.

Culled from www.techloy.com