Earlier tonight I was catching up on email and other tasks when I turned on the TV for some background noise. ABC’s The Bachelor was on, and like any ambitious 25 year old anxious to get on with completing my goals, I tuned it out and continued working. My limited experience with reality TV came from watching American Idol a couple years ago so I really didn’t know what I was in for. Having never seen the show I glanced up out of curiosity and watched for about 10 minutes. Immediately I came to the conclusion that these girls sure know how to crush it. The five characteristics that I believe can make or break a new venture were displayed by the majority of contestants. Think I’m crazy? See for yourself.

1. Know what you’re up against: Contestants on The Bachelor know who they are competing against. They’ve seen every type of girl and know how to beat them. Can you say the same about your competitors? A couple weeks ago Bootstrap Business wrote a post about knowing your competition and using a “competitive matrix model” to map it out. Knowing what you’re up against can be applied to anything from classes to business and will help you plan your next steps.
2. Be ‘relentlessly resourceful’: I’m sure Paul Graham wasn’t watching Hell’s Kitchen when he wrote his insightful essay. Personally, I live by this. Being Gen Y entrepreneur gave me the opportunity to grow up with resources at my disposal to do anything that I set my mind to. Google, social networks and smart phones enable us to get any information at any time we need it. I’m still amazed when people ask me for directions on how to cook a certain dish, driving directions to the mall or even what the capital of Wisconsin is – look it up – it takes 12 seconds (yes, I’ve counted).
3. Find your competitors weakness and exploit: My dad is a big fan of the rock band Pink Floyd and after years of growing up with Another Brick in the Wall playing over and over again I realized that the true meaning of the lyrics: “exposing every weakness..” can be applied to normal every-day situations. Reality TV stars, whether they are on Survivor, The Bachelorette, or The Real Housewives, know their competitors weaknesses and exploit them for everything it’s worth. Taking the time to know your competition and get acquainted with what makes them tick will give you insight into what will make them fall.
4. Never give up: I read an inspirational post over the weekend on never giving up, no matter how much your life resembles that of a “yo-yo”. The post goes over the struggles that Mark Suster, a 2x tech entrepreneur that made the switch to the VC world after selling his second startup to salesforce.com, struggled with on his path to success. Along the way, he struggled with weight and health issues due to the lifestyle he led. In the end, he stuck with it and everything worked well. Reality TV is filled with people that don’t give up. They know what they want and will stop at nothing to win. Whether you tend to more resemble Kevin Rose or Omarosa, stick with it and make your work to pay off in the end.
5. Be in it to win: Last but not least, you have to be in it to win it. There is no prize for second place. If you are going to invest the time, capital and resources into starting a business then go for it. Pull out all the stops and do everything you can to make it happen.

Sure, maybe the next big technological innovation won’t come from a member of the boardroom on The Apprentice, but reality TV show contestants have the above qualities that make a strong competitor. Take these 5 tips and apply them to your professional life to get the most out your time and money.