With the growing trend of design-intensive start-ups and entrepreneurs in the field of Industrial Design (ID), it is becoming more important to understand the skills and learning experiences ID students need to be successful in this career path. This study aims to identify the necessary skills and mindset for ID students to become successful design entrepreneurs. A secondary goal is to assess the current interests and skillset levels of ID students at the Authors’ University. The authors conducted a literature review on entrepreneurial thinking and ID and developed a framework that focuses on key skills that are essential for students to possess in order to pursue design-entrepreneur initiatives. The proposed framework outlines eight teachable soft skills necessary for success in this field. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current level of skills, interests, and potential educational gaps in design education, the authors used this framework to develop questions and conducted a survey of industrial design students at various academic levels. The survey results provide valuable insights into the skills currently present in design education, as well as those needed for design entrepreneurship. The paper also discusses the potential implications of these findings for the future of industrial design education.