What are non-technical skills?

What are the overlapping skills/traits between  researchers and entrepreneurs?

• A sample of traits/skils: Curiosity, Problem-Solving, Intellectual stamina, Experimentation, Persistence-with-a-problem, Technical writing, Presentation skills, Risk-taking, Selling ideas and yourself, time-management, people management, people skills, Attention-to-detail, Ability-for-abstraction, Systems/holistic-thinking, honesty(intellectual and general integrity), Communication skills, Diplomatic skills, Imagination, Negotiation skills, persuasiveness, Charisma/appearance, Charm, Flexbility, Ideation, Ability-to-convert-ideas-to-reality, Political skills, Decision-making, networking skills,  a good team-player, ability-to-spot potential-in-people, quick-thinking, presence-of-mind, Creativity, Empathy, Passion, Luck.

• Answer:

  At some point research becomes an idea that in turn evolves into a product or a service niche and then a business.  At that point a researcher becomes an entrepreneur. All the skills you have mentioned have uses along the way in the above progression because they are positive traits and abilities. Not all, however, will permit traveling the complete route unless they result in passing the following test: 1. Do you have a product or service niche in mind? 2. Do you believe you have a market for 1 above and the means to reach it? 3. Are you willing to develop a business plan using the free tool kit linked below to validate 1 and 2 above before you launch? If   the answer to the above questions is yes than take the actions    indicated, observe the results, then make an informed decision on    whether or not to proceed. http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/starting-managing-business/starting-business/how-write-business-plan http://www.bplans.com/sample_business_plans.php