What Are You?

I was in a meeting last week with a very successful investor / entrepreneur last week, and we were talking about the difference between ones and twos.

Ones are people who start new things. They have vision, conviction, and see the world as it ought to be, and then won’t stop until they make it so.

Twos are people who show up as ones are getting started and join the one on their mission. They don’t usually come up with the idea, but they believe just a strongly in the picture being painted by the one and agree to work alongside to make it a reality.

To my surprise, this person I was talking to said “I’ve always been a two. I’ve always joined the thing rather than create the thing.” I was a little bit surprised. He then said something that, for me, was profound. He said “There’s nothing wrong with being a two. Ones need twos, and twos need ones. It doesn’t make you less of an entrepreneur or less successful long term.”

I thought about it the whole plane ride home. I wonder how much time I’ve (and perhaps you’ve) spent thinking you have to be a one, when perhaps you are a two.

I think I’m probably a two. It’s what makes me good at fixing other people’s problems, to the extent that I’m good at it.

What about you?