What we measure
Capabilities you can develop, not fixed traits you're born with
Ignio's assessment is built around eight entrepreneurial capabilities. None of them are talents you either have or don't — each one can be strengthened with practice, and this page explains how.
Self-Efficacy
The confidence to act under uncertainty, even without having every step figured out.
Self-Efficacy is what lets you move forward on something new before you feel fully ready. Entrepreneurship rarely offers complete information, so this capability shows up in the gap between not knowing and starting anyway.
What it looks like
- Starting with a small, imperfect action instead of waiting until you feel fully prepared.
- Trying something recently that you didn't fully know how to do, and moving forward with it rather than putting it off.
- Asking someone for help to keep moving, instead of freezing when you hit something unfamiliar.
How it develops
It tends to build through repeated small, low-risk attempts and honest feedback — each one making the next unfamiliar step feel a little more manageable.
Resilience
Sustaining action through rejection, setbacks, or difficulty.
Resilience is less about avoiding setbacks and more about what happens in the days right after one. It's the difference between a setback ending your momentum and a setback becoming information you act on.
What it looks like
- Reviewing what can be learned from something that didn't work before deciding whether to continue.
- Taking a short pause to recover after a rejection, then coming back to it rather than abandoning it.
- Asking for more detail when you get a "no", instead of just changing the subject.
How it develops
It grows with practice at processing setbacks quickly and consistently, rather than avoiding them or taking them personally — over time, recovery gets faster.
Opportunity Mindset
Spotting real opportunities beyond day-to-day survival.
Opportunity Mindset is about noticing a recurring problem and seeing it as something you could act on, rather than something only someone else can fix — even while you're also dealing with immediate pressures.
What it looks like
- Noticing a need that keeps coming up in your community or work, and treating it as a possible opportunity.
- Talking to someone about a problem you've spotted, instead of just noting it and moving on.
- Weighing an immediate need for income against a smaller, lower-risk opportunity worth testing.
How it develops
It sharpens with deliberate practice at noticing patterns, and by testing small hypotheses about unmet needs instead of waiting for one big, fully original idea.
Collaborative Trust
Building productive relationships without naivety or isolation.
Collaborative Trust sits between two failure modes: trusting everyone immediately, or trusting no one and going it alone. It's the discipline of testing collaboration in small, real ways before committing further.
What it looks like
- Trying a small collaboration before committing to something bigger with someone new.
- Getting clear on roles and responsibilities before working with someone on an idea.
- Asking for or offering concrete help to someone outside your close circle.
How it develops
It develops through repeated, well-bounded collaborations — each one calibrating trust a little more accurately, instead of relying on a single all-or-nothing judgment.
Entrepreneurial Agency
Turning intention into concrete action.
Entrepreneurial Agency is what separates an idea you talk about from an idea you're actually building. It's less about motivation and more about consistently converting decisions into a next concrete step.
What it looks like
- Turning an idea into a small first action instead of only writing it down or planning it further.
- Taking a concrete step toward a goal in the past couple of weeks, even a small one.
- Noticing when more planning has quietly replaced actually doing something.
How it develops
It strengthens by deliberately shrinking the gap between deciding and acting — picking the smallest possible next step and doing it before adding more preparation.
Strategic Adaptability
Adjusting direction without losing momentum.
Strategic Adaptability is about changing course without starting over. It shows up when new information suggests your plan needs to shift — a different audience, a different offer — rather than abandoning it entirely or refusing to budge.
What it looks like
- Changing an approach after new information, instead of defending the original plan out of habit.
- Talking to potential users when an idea isn't landing, rather than just pushing the same pitch harder.
- Recognising when the fix is a different audience or explanation, not a completely new idea.
How it develops
It improves by treating early plans as hypotheses to test rather than commitments to defend, and by reviewing decisions regularly against new evidence.
Leadership Initiative
Mobilising or coordinating others without needing formal authority.
Leadership Initiative is about stepping into the gap when a group lacks direction — proposing structure, coordinating people — without waiting for a title that gives you permission to do it.
What it looks like
- Proposing next steps or structure when a group is unclear on direction, instead of waiting for someone else to.
- Helping coordinate or organise other people toward a shared goal in recent months.
- Asking what each person needs to move forward, not just assigning tasks.
How it develops
It builds through low-stakes chances to coordinate — a small project, a shared task — practising initiative before a formal role ever asks it of you.
Economic Integration Readiness
Navigating a new country's economic and professional ecosystem.
Economic Integration Readiness is specific to building something in an unfamiliar system — knowing where to look for support, and being willing to step into spaces that don't yet feel familiar.
What it looks like
- Knowing a handful of concrete organisations, programmes, or contacts that could support your venture locally.
- Taking part in an event, programme, or professional space outside your usual circle.
- Searching for information and validating options independently, rather than only waiting for someone else's recommendation.
How it develops
It builds with direct exposure — using at least one new resource, attending one unfamiliar space — treating unfamiliarity with a country's systems as something learnable, not a permanent barrier.