In this study, we examine the effect of entrepreneurs' motivation and the local economic environment on young venture performance. Field data was collected from entrepreneurs of two different regions, South America and Europe. Our findings suggest that the degree of entrepreneurial motivation at firm creation (i.e., necessity-driven versus opportunity-driven motivation) determine subsequent venture performance during firm infancy (i.e., three to four initial years from inception). Results show that the human capital profile of necessity-driven entrepreneurs at the moment of firm start-up is weaker than that of opportunity-driven entrepreneurs in both regions. When we compare the profile of necessity-driven entrepreneurs for each region, noticeable differences arise.