[grellas]

Anyone can succeed in business and opportunities are open to all. I have worked with startups for over a quarter century and successful founders come in all sizes and shapes. A particularly shy person may not make a good CEO or a good salesperson but there are all manner of roles to be filled in such startups, for extrovert and introvert (and shy person) alike.

Plus, people can outgrow shyness, often by going through hardships that cause them to mature in that area (this happened to me years ago when everybody used to laugh at the idea that I would ever be a lawyer or particularly a litigator).

And ditto with the others who say that shyness is not directly connected with self-esteem - the two may sometimes be related but shyness can be caused by many factors having nothing to do with self-esteem.

The main keys to success in business are hard work, talent, and persistence, with personality being an entirely secondary factor.