Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Wrong question.

But let's answer it anyway.

Sequoia Ventures, the best investors in the world, don’t ask this.

Doug Leone, their former managing partner, has been clear.

They screen for founders with a chip on their shoulder.

Usually from broken backgrounds.

Those who are obsessed with proving the world wrong.

You don’t inherit that.

and it doesn't develop in one day.

It gets forged over time, due to constant pressure.

So sure, they are made.

But even that misses the point.

Founders don’t care about this debate.

It doesn’t help because you still have to do the work.

The right questions for them are simple:

- Do I have product market fit?

- Can I obsess over this until I get it?

That’s it.

These questions matter because they filter fast.

You have to be humble enough to seek brutal feedback and care enough to face it head on.

That’s why Sequoia bets on people with chips on their shoulders.

Most can’t stomach the truth.

But those with something to prove are always hunting for it.

The pain that built them is louder than bad customer feedback.

They are not scared of hard conversations.

They are scared of not winning.

A massive public win might quiet the noise.

And that’s why they make it happen.