Entrepreneur's DNA – Do You Have It? | Week #23

What makes someone a true entrepreneur? Is it resilience, creativity, risk tolerance or a bit of everything, deeply wired into who they are?

This week, I want to explore the idea of “Entrepreneurial DNA” not as a buzzword, but as a serious question every founder should ask themselves. One tool I really appreciate is the Entrepreneur DNA Assessment from the Founder Institute, designed to evaluate core personality traits statistically linked to startup success. It focuses on things like fluid intelligence, openness, bravery, and even emotional stability.

Why does this matter?

Because being a founder isn’t just about having a great idea. It’s about handling uncertainty, persisting through failure, and leading with clarity when the path is anything but clear. These traits aren’t always visible on a CV but they often determine who thrives and who burns out.

So this week, I challenge you to reflect:

• Do you know your strengths and blind spots as a founder?

• Have you ever taken a personality-based startup assessment?

• Are you building a team that complements your DNA?

Whether you’re just getting started or deep in the grind, understanding the psychology of entrepreneurship is a huge unlock.

Looking forward to hearing what you discover.

• 📝 Are you part of SheSapiens Community, or have you ever joined some of our events? Then this is for you! SheSapiens Community Survey 2025 is out 🥳 Can you give us 2 minutes to complete it and help them get to know you better and improve? 👉 https://tally.so/r/3Xk7Yd You can win a 100€ voucher, which can be used with one of our amazing partners, including options from our marketplace or business perks. The winner will be announced on July 2nd.

✍ Quote of the week

Entrepreneurs are born and made. The ingredients are in all of us, but it takes the right environment to bring them out.

Adeo Ressi, Founder Institute

Week highlights go to:

🔷 startUP23 and Canopy Demo Night at The Hood, this Thursday

• 🔷 Future Fest FOOD this Thursday & Friday

• 🔷 Above & Beyond, the monthly Hangout for the Portuguese entrepreneurial ecosystem

• 🔷 RedBridge Lisbon monthly gathering

Check out Adamastor calendar

Congrats

• 👏 Impacte and Susplus spin-offs from the University of Porto and incubated at UPTEC, were recognised by the 𝐂𝐫é𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐠𝐫í𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚 & 𝐅𝐄𝐏 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐚çã𝐨 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝, which highlights innovative solutions with a positive impact on society

• 👏 Bandora has raised 1.5M in a seed round

• 👏 Influencer analytics platform Primetag raises 5.6M

• 👏 Bitloops raises 1M

• 👏 Lampsy won Best Pitch at the i9 Digital Health Summit

• 👏 Mapidea and NielsenIQ announce strategic partnership to deliver advanced Geospatial Intelligence and Geomarketing solutions

Something to read, listen and watch

• 📚 Bandora entra nos EUA, nasce a Bandora USA

• 📚 Lampsy: An Invisible Real-Time Epilepsy Video Monitoring and Automatic Seizure Detection Device

• 📚 The huge tech news from Octopus and BYD that the tech media ignored w/ Mike Butcher

• 📚 Introducing the Concept of Ecosystem Angels w/ Thomas Kösters

• 📚 Should you build relationships with VCs before a raise w/ Cristina Farr

• 📚 European fintech emerges stronger after VC downturn

• 📚 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report by Startup Genome and GEN

• 🎧 Mastercard’s Michael Miebach on why tokenization is central to building trust in a cashless world

• 🎥 Canopy: Investor Circle | Renato Braz: Angel, Corporate & Pan-European VC Insights

• 🎥 The Righteous Mind | Jonathan Haidt | Talks at Google

• Looking for your next spark of inspiration or connection?

  Discover what’s happening in the ecosystem—check out the 'Adamastor Events Calendar and find the perfect event that fits your goals, your vibe, and your stage. From founder meetups to investor talks, there’s something for everyone.