Despite the fact that my New York Giants failed to make a repeat trip to the Super Bowl, being the diehard football fan that I am, I wasn’t going to miss the Big Game. Whether or not it was the greatest Super Bowl of all time (it wasn’t), one thing that stood out to me was the way in which both teams rallied when they were down and how it took the effort of every player on each team to deliver success. It was clear that no individual player wanted to let down his team by not doing his individual job well.

It strikes me that we’re seeing the same thing play out in the world of startups right now. The companies that are continuing to make progress notwithstanding the challenges in the funding environment and the broader market are the ones with teams that are committed both to the mission of the company and to each other. I would argue that a quality team is the most important factor in the success of a startup, but never is the quality of a team more important than in a down market. After all, there are no unique ideas, only unique execution and execution is the difference between success and failure given the current economic situation.

So what are the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur or team?  I don’t know that I have the right answer to that question, but here are the things that I look for when making investments. First is passion. Is the team genuinely excited about the business and the problem that it is addressing? Is it committed to solving the problem and building a sustainable business? Passion is a requirement given that there are so many ups and downs in the life of a startup. Second is flexibility. Rarely is the initial approach to solving a problem or attacking a market the right approach. Entrepreneurs and teams that can’t react to messages from and changes in the market are likely to continue marching down a path that leads to a dead end. Third is expertise. It’s important to note that expertise isn’t defined as years of prior experience building a company or product. I deem expertise to be the possession of unique insight that sheds light on an acute pain and the salve for that pain. In other words, what is it that makes the team uniquely qualified to solve the problem that they have identified? Finally comes integrity. The relationship between an investor and a team of entrepreneurs is often compared to a marriage, and the comparison is only a slight exaggeration. Trust, honesty and candor are the foundations of the entrepreneur-investor relationship. Without those building blocks, the inevitable ups and downs of the corporate marriage are impossible to withstand.

While this isn’t a comprehensive list of what I believe makes an entrepreneur or team successful, these are some of the absolutely critical characteristics. And I would expect that any startup team should be looking for the same qualities in its investors. I’m blessed to work with a group of entrepreneurs whom I am proud to call both great partners and friends. I have absolute confidence that these teams will be able to execute well during the current economic downturn and emerge much stronger and better positioned than the competition. Watching the Super Bowl, it was clear that each player had the same faith in his teammates, even when it looked like the game was over. I hope that the same can be said about the Giants a year from now!

P.S. Many thanks to those of you who sent your thoughts and prayers my way upon hearing about the passing of my father-in-law. Supporting him and my family through his battle with cancer was a major reason that I’ve been remiss in blogging for so long.