Introduction
Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of our economy. They’re the ones who take risks and use their creativity to make a difference in the world. The best entrepreneurs do this while also making money, which is why they’re often called “serial entrepreneurs.” Say’s Cheikh Mboup, these people aren’t just great at starting companies; they’re also able to grow them into global success stories. What’s their secret? Simply put: hard work and persistence! But there’s much more to it than that—it takes smarts, luck, dedication and a lot more besides. To get some insight into how top entrepreneurs built their businesses from scratch into global successes, we talked with some of these successful businesspeople about what makes them tick (and how you can emulate their success).
“Build a team of people who are better than you at different things. Hire people who are better than you.” – Reid Hoffman
One of the most important lessons to learn as an entrepreneur is to hire people who are better than you at different things. Hire people who are smarter, more experienced and have different perspectives from yours. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and venture capitalist at Greylock Partners says: “Build a team of people who are better than you at different things. Hire people who are better than you.”
“I always try to focus on the next step, not how far down the road I am going.” – Elon Musk
“I always try to focus on the next step, not how far down the road I am going.” – Elon Musk
When it comes to entrepreneurship and success, there are plenty of people who talk about their journey in a way that makes it seem like they had an easy time of things. But in reality, most entrepreneurs have faced challenges along the way–even those who have achieved major milestones that many would consider impossible. For example, Elon Musk was just two days away from bankruptcy when he launched SpaceX (space exploration company) and Tesla Motors (electric car manufacturer). He said: “If SpaceX had failed then I would have been back at my desk job with no money in my pocket but at least with enough credit card debt left over from starting up Zip2 for me to still be able to pay off my student loans.”
“Be willing to be misunderstood for a long time.” – Steve Jobs
“Be willing to be misunderstood for a long time.” – Steve Jobs
This one is a no-brainer. If you’re going to start your own business, you’re going to have ideas that people don’t understand at first. You should expect that and be okay with it. There were many times when Steve Jobs was misunderstood by other people in his life (and even himself), but he remained persistent in his quest for greatness and the impact he wanted to make on the world.
“I’ve made it a rule never to give up on anything until I am convinced that my judgment is best.” – Thomas Edison
As an entrepreneur, you’ll face many obstacles. You may encounter roadblocks that seem insurmountable. Your idea might not be as good as you thought it was or your product might not be selling well. It’s important to keep in mind that these are all normal parts of the process and are just part of what makes being an entrepreneur so challenging–and rewarding!
If this sounds familiar, don’t give up! Just because your business isn’t doing well now doesn’t mean it won’t be successful later on down the line. In fact, many businesses fail because their owners give up too soon or don’t have enough perseverance to keep going when things get tough (or both). For example:
- Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook while he was still an undergraduate student at Harvard University; he dropped out after his sophomore year when the social media platform really took off
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to approach life as an entrepreneur. The most important thing is that you find what works for you and stick with it!
