You've raised some institutional capital, past or present. You’ve won individual awards related to entrepreneurship or your current sector. Forbes 30u30, EY entrepreneurs and equivalent industry accolades are helpful, non-exhaustive.

You and your work have been covered by international, national media, or well regarded publications in your field of expertise.

You've judged competitions in your field, such as hackathon or startup pitches. Equally helpful if you have been a publication review for technical papers.

You have a granted patent, or contribution as a leader to generating significant traction in your current or past roles.

You've gone through a well-regarded Accelerator or local Incubators, such as Y Combinator, Techstars or 500 Startups. Individual membership with <5% acceptance rate, such as IEEE, AAAI, or Thiel Fellowship can be helpful.

You've held a C-suite or senior leadership role essential to an organization with a distinguished reputation. You dont need to be a Fortune 1000 companies leader to qualify.

You own significant equity or have been paid a relatively high salary in your field, typically within top 5% of reported salaries for your roles and city.

Thought leadership in professional journals, major publications, or trade media with significant circulation. Examples include bylined articles in Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Quarterly, Forbes, or respected industry publications. Speaking at major conferences can be helpful.