You might be an entrepreneur if …

Warning: Entrepreneurship may be hereditary.

Two of the three panelists at a discussion held by Troutman Sanders on Wednesday are the sons of entrepreneurs.

The third, he sort of fell into it six months after graduating from Virginia Tech in 2002.

Entrepreneurs Kevin Gerber, Russ Kaulback and Buck Robinson chatted with local attorney Tom Grant on Wednesday night at a panel discussion geared toward the venture capital community. All three started and run companies that earned a spot on Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 fastest growing companies.

Other signs you may be an entrepreneur: being a terrible employee, according to Buck Robinson, who started Robinson Radio.

“I was the world’s worst employee,” he said. “I didn’t fall into line, and now I surround myself with people who see the world like me.”

Also helpful: A healthy dose of confidence and a love of competition.

Kevin Gerber, who started the Richmond-based technology consultancy Packet360, said that while an employee, he would see things and think he could do a better job.

“That’s personally very fulfilling to me,” he said, of competing in the marketplace. He has since hired executives that he felt were probably out of his league.

“We have a culture where they feel valued. They want to be heard, and influential in business decisions,” he said. “Culture is really important. They have to want to come to work.”

So what can a business owner expect after getting exposure on the Inc. 500?

Lots and lots of phone calls, said Russ Kaulback, who co-founded Arlington-based Ignited Discovery, which uses computer systems to help law firms find evidence from electronic files.

Aaron Kremer is the BizSense editor. Please send news tips to Editor@richmondbizsense.com.