What makes a great entrepreneur?

A quote that hit close to home for me is one by Calvin Coolidge (I think I read in a comment here on another thread):

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"

N.E.R.D. : Non Employed Rent Driven

You need a good team just as much if not more.

I think "passion" is a better single-word summary of this essay. Having a fervid passion for your start-up is what enables you to make what most consider a difficult decision (quitting school, quitting your job, taking out a home equity loan, maxing out your credit card, etc.) simple. This is evidenced by the author's "pull the trigger" analogy. I guarantee that Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates did not spend sleepless nights deciding whether to drop out of Harvard--they just did it.