The Entrepreneurial Type Indicator (ETI)
About
Do You Know Yourself as an Entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurship magnifies your "self." Every decision, risk, and partnership reflects what you believe about value, purpose, and control, yet most founders chase visions before they understand their own motives. Self-awareness turns trial and error into deliberate growth. It gives context to feedback, steadiness in failure, and clarity in success.
Entrepreneurship is always about creating something of value, but you have to create yourself first.
Why do more than 50% of businesses fail in their first 5 years?
Data from Forbes show: a significant number of fledgling entrepreneurs fail not from a lack of passion, but from a lack of self-awareness, leading to misaligned strategies, partnership friction, and personal burnout. The ETI is designed to prevent this before it starts, thanks to its proprietary framework for codifying, measuring, and understanding everyone's unique entrepreneurial drives, behaviors, and skillsets.
How Does It Work?
Through a brief psychometric assessment, the ETI plots your identity as a gradient across four overarching types — Altruistic, Effective, Inventive, and Opportunistic. It then calculates your dominant and influencer types to determine which one of sixteen entrepreneurial subtypes you are. A, E, I, O . . . Where do "U" fit in? Find out at no cost right now!
Compare to Other Personality Assessments
See how the ETI stacks up against other popular assessments
Select an assessment above to see how it compares to the ETI
In a Nutshell
While tools like MBTI, Enneagram, and StrengthsFinder offer valuable insights into general personality traits, they weren't designed for the unique challenges of entrepreneurship. The ETI is the only assessment specifically built for entrepreneurs — measuring not just who you are, but how you create value, make decisions under uncertainty, and partner effectively to build successful ventures.
Actionable Insights that Drive Your Next Move
The Results page is more than a profile. It's next steps you can follow immediately.
Identity Summary (Entrepreneurial Motivations)
An at-a-glance readout of your "spread" across the four overarching Types of entrepreneurs and what it means right now — so you know where to focus, what to defer, and how to leverage your strengths.
Attribute Breakdown (Identity vs Behavior)
See where you fall across 12 behavior polarities (e.g., people vs enterprise, rebels vs rules, etc.). Your particular lean is measured on each polarity, giving you clarity on how your actions help or hinder your drives.
Knowledge & Skills Guardrails
Highlights areas where confidence may outpace competence (and vice versa). Through self-ratings and a quick quiz, we ensure you don't overcommit too soon or hold back where you should lean in.
Next Steps & Quick Wins
A short, personalized action list tied to your profile and stage (start, stop, delegate). Designed to move work forward this week, with optional deep-dives in the Pro results.
Get Even More with a Pro Membership!
Going Pro unlocks the full power of the ETI. You'll get expanded result storage, access to the Ideal Partner Discovery feature, and an unlimited Strategic Roadmap tailored to your specific subtype, plus exclusive discounts on external entrepreneurial resources and tools. Best of all, your Pro membership includes a credit toward training registration — making it the smartest investment in your entrepreneurial journey.
Get Lifetime Access for Lifelong Insights!
The truly amazing thing about the ETI is that it's only going to get better with each completed test. Be sure to at least register to get the enhanced insights we glean from additional data, OR get Pro or Enterprise and get much more!
| Benefits | Free | Pro | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Results (1 Latest, the Rest Historical) | 3 (1 registered email) |
5 (1 verified email) |
90 to ∞ (9 per user x 10 user min.) |
| Ideal Business Fit Based on Your Subtype | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Strategic Roadmap Tailored to Your Subtype | Limited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Discounts to External Affiliate Resources/Tools | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ideal Partner Discovery Based on Your Subtype | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Downloadable PDF of Your Unlimited Roadmap | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Unique URL (e.g., /yourinstitution) | ✓ | ||
| Administrative Dashboard for Seat and Result Management | ✓ | ||
| Total Number of Seats/Registered Users | 10 to ∞ | ||
| Price | $0.00 | $24.99 | See Pricing |
Create on Common Ground
Partnerships work when people see the same landscape. The ETI gives partners a shared language for how each creates value and makes decisions. You spot natural overlaps, complementary gaps, and likely friction points before they become costly. Roles get clearer, expectations align, and conflict turns into coordination. Use it to choose the right fit and start strong.
Use Cases
See how the ETI helps entrepreneurs and teams make smarter decisions
Resolving Partnership Conflicts
When co-founders clash over strategy or priorities, the ETI reveals whether the friction stems from personality differences or misaligned roles. An Orchestrator focused on systems and a Visionary chasing new ideas can divide responsibilities more effectively once they understand each other's natural approach to building a business.
Vetting a Potential Co-founder
Before committing to a partnership, the ETI shows whether two entrepreneurs complement or duplicate each other's strengths. A Builder who thrives on execution paired with an Explorer who spots market gaps creates balance, while two Builders might compete for the same tasks and leave strategic gaps unfilled.
Finding the Right Partner Profile
Solopreneurs often assume they need a partner who thinks like them. The ETI's Ideal Partner Discovery feature identifies the entrepreneurial profiles that would fill capability gaps rather than echo existing strengths, helping founders recruit partners who expand what the business can accomplish.
Still Not Convinced You Need to Take The ETI?
Well, take a look at what others have to say about their experience using the ETI:
For Educational Institutions
Looking to empower your own community of entrepreneurs? Educational institutions can deploy the ETI through customizable, white-labeled portals with revenue-sharing options through joint-marketing campaigns. Equip your students, faculty, and/or staff with intuitive, actionable insights paired with strategic roadmaps to business success. Then go beyond the ETI by incorporating our proprietary, tailored, and comprehensive training programs into your course catalogue.
Learn more about joining the Squad as an educational partner.
Your Institution Here
Your Institution Here
Learn More about the Origins of the ETI
The ETI was created by a former Air Force Russian Cryptologic Linguist/Intelligence Analyst named Damian Niolet. Ultimately, Damian's entrepreneurial spirit led him to separate from the Air Force, but it would take 10 years before he would begin seeing success as an entrepreneur, and it all started when he essentially gave up on ever being one.
Framing the Framework
Like many aspiring entrepreneurs, Damian has never had a shortage of ideas. After separating from the Air Force in 2015, however, his runway was very short. (Ironic pun intended.) He knew he needed to focus on just one venture, so he decided to build a decision framework to help narrow his attention. Having a master's of entrepreneurship, he understood the theory behind succeeding as an entrepreneur, but he wanted a practical tool that forced him to answer, "What can I accomplish today," rather than, "What do I want to accomplish in life?"
While outlining his thoughts at his dining room table, he noticed four overlapping rings from a water glass — a natural Venn diagram. Inspired, a visual dimension, complete with color-coding, was added into the framework. This process grounded him so well he shelved all his "good ideas," realizing they were too grandiose or not right for his current situation. Then he saw the framework itself as his best opportunity. A decade later those "water stains" have matured into the Entrepreneurial Type Indicator (ETI) and the Success Training in Entrepreneurship Program (STEP).
ETI By The Numbers
A snapshot of the development effort behind the Entrepreneurial Type Indicator
Development Roadmap
See where StartEase has been and where it's headed
Proof of Concept (ETI)
Completed
- Core Assessment Engine: 28 fixed questions for Type Discovery
- Type Calculation Algorithm: Weighted scoring for dominant/influencer types
- Basic Results Display: Simple text-based results
- Local Storage: Browser-based progress saving
- Framework Visualization: Four overlapping circles concept
MVP (ETI)
Completed
- 16 Subtypes: Full dominant+influencer combinations
- Behavioral Attributes: 36 questions, 12 polarities
- User Accounts: Registration, login, verification
- Server-Side Storage: MySQL database
- Results Dashboard: Saved results history
- Visual Identity Summary: Radar chart
- Basic Roadmap: Strategic recommendations
Version 1.0 (StartEase Platform)
Current
- Platform Foundation: Auth, portals, dashboard, modular JS
- ETI Assessment: Full 4-part assessment with scoring engine
- Training Hub: Trainings, registrations, milestones, workbooks
- Applicant Pipeline: Claude AI scoring, enrollment tokens
- Game Mode: Guess Who, Business Boo, leaderboards
- Badge System: 25 achievement badges across 5 categories
- Admin Dashboards: Dev, Enterprise, Portal, Sponsor
- PayPal Payments: Pro membership, training enrollment, enterprise seats
- PDF Export & Sharing: Downloadable results
- Feedback & Testimonials: Community voice
- Sponsor Ads: Interstitial placements
- Data Migration: Full cutover from ETI standalone
Version 2.0 (Ecosystem Expansion)
Upcoming
- AI Partner Matching: Powered by ETI assessment data
- Team Analytics: Aggregate composition analysis
- Fantasy League: Team-building game mode
- Enhanced Roadmaps: Interactive milestones with progress tracking
- LaunchEase Integration: AI co-pilot for business strategy
- HireEase Integration: Local freelancer marketplace connection
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Public API: Third-party integrations
- Certification Program: ETI Facilitator training
The Ecosystem
Three products designed to support entrepreneurs from discovery through execution.
StartEase You are here
Discover your entrepreneurial type. Learn the frameworks. Understand why self-knowledge matters before you invest a dime. Built on the ETI assessment and the STEP training curriculum.
LaunchEase
An AI co-pilot that helps you build your business strategy. It asks the right questions at the right time, generating real deliverables — from mission statements to business plans.
HireEase
A local freelancer marketplace for the disciplines that stretch you thin. Design, development, marketing, accounting — find curated talent within your community.
StartEase
Learn why and what
LaunchEase
Figure out how
HireEase
Hire to get it done
Frequently Asked Questions
What is StartEase?
StartEase is the front door to the VentureEase ecosystem. It's the platform that houses the ETI psychometric assessment, the STEP training program, game mode, badges, and a portal system for educational institutions. Think of it as the foundation where entrepreneurs discover who they are before building what they want.
What is the ETI?
The Entrepreneurial Type Indicator is a psychometric assessment that identifies your entrepreneurial type from 16 possible subtypes. It measures your dominant and influencer types across four dimensions — Altruistic, Effective, Inventive, and Opportunistic — along with behavioral leans, internal tensions, and a Dunning-Kruger gap analysis.
How long does it take?
About 15 minutes for the full 4-part assessment. Your progress is saved automatically, so you can pause and return anytime.
Is it really free?
Yes. The core assessment and full type breakdown are completely free. Pro membership unlocks advanced features like the 3-phase strategic roadmap, ideal partner radar overlay, and more.
What is Pro?
Pro membership ($24.99 one-time) unlocks advanced analysis, 3-phase strategic roadmaps, ideal partner radar overlay, PDF export, and priority support. It’s a one-time purchase — no subscriptions.
What is STEP?
Success Training in Entrepreneurship Program — a structured training curriculum built on the ETI foundation. STEP takes the insights from your assessment and turns them into actionable learning paths, mentorship opportunities, and milestone-driven progress.
What is VentureEase Academy?
VentureEase Academy is the nonprofit organization behind StartEase. It's dedicated to entrepreneurial education and believes that understanding yourself as an entrepreneur is the first step to building something that lasts.
Start Here
Not sure where to begin? The ETI assessment is the best starting point. It takes about 15 minutes and gives you a clear picture of your entrepreneurial type, behavioral leans, tensions, and a roadmap tailored to your subtype.