The Top 10 ways to tell if you have the makings of a Red Herring Top 10 Entrepreneur

While trying to recruit a candidate recently, I found the candidate was concerned about the risk of joining a startup. I explained that this is my fourth startup and that people who do this many times are much more likely to succeed then others with less experience.

He was still concerned. So I offered to research some statistics for him.

I called my friend Ruthann Quindlen, author of the popular book "Confessions of a Venture Capitalist." She explained to me that serial entrepreneurs who still have the passion for what they're doing are almost always successful.

So in the spirit of the Red Herring top 10 entrepreneurs and passion, I've created a list of 10 things that this year's group of honorees have in common:

10. We're still watching "Who wants to be a Millionaire" even though we are worth billions. In fact, we are the only people in Silicon Valley who watch the show. No one else in Silicon Valley wants a reduction in their net worth.

9. We will do anything to get extra press exposure, including reading stupid top 10 lists.

8. Our kids get to know us by seeing us on TV and in newspapers.

7. Our idea of roughing it is a camp out with only two spare laptop batteries, a 9600 baud Internet connection, and no Wall Street Journal.

6. Our idea of the goodnight's sleep is four hours that is interrupted only six times to take notes in the middle of the night.

5. Our idea of a vacation is to be left alone so we can get some real work done.

4. We've installed wireless Ethernet in our homes so we can answer e-mails while in the bathroom.

3. We're still driving a 10-year-old car since there's no time to buy a new one; but we've equipped the car with GPS and DSL Internet connectivity.

2. Our kids favorite phrase is "Daddy, get off the computer!"

1. We have to leave early from the Red Herring event honoring us because we still have 200 hundred unread e-mails in our in-box.