12 founders share their entrepreneurial wisdom
TRANSCRIPT
12 Successful Founders Share their Entrepreneurial Wisdom
Wrike.com Where Work Gets Done.
When you've formulated a new business idea in your head, where do you go for advice on how to make your dream a reality? Your parents? Best friend? Google?
It's better to take your advice from experts instead. (No offense, Mom.)
We asked business founders and CEOs to share their best piece of advice for new entrepreneurs.
Read on to see what they had to say ➔➔
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The only thing that will get you through the tough times of being an entrepreneur — and there will be many of those — is being very singular and passionate about what you are doing. If you're not, if you're chasing money or anything else, then the highs and lows of startup life will absolutely wear you out.
Andrew Filev Founder/CEO Wrike
On always following your
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passion
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On growing your business — slowly
Ideas and businesses are not created overnight. Things will tend to take longer than expected, whether that is fundraising, product development cycles, customer acquisition, etc…
In Silicon Valley, this is tough, because the whole culture here is built around a short-‐term focus of how quickly you can grow. Survive another day and keep at it. Those who have patience and resilience will eventually find success.
Jonathan Tang Founder/CEO
Vastrm
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Wrike.com Where Work Gets Done.
On embracing new, different ideas Keep a nimble mind. It's good that you want to stick to your vision, after all it's your baby, but things change along the way. Don't be afraid to embrace change and mix things up.
Brad Zomick Co-‐founder/Senior Director of Content SkilledUp
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On talking to your customers If you haven’t spent at least as much time talking to your customers as you have building your prototype, stop and go have as many conversations as you possibly can.
You’ll get more game-‐changing insights about your product, messaging, positioning and sales strategy than you could ever learn from reading business books.
Alex Turnbull Founder/CEO Groove
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”Wrike.com Where Work Gets Done.
On carefully accepting and incorporating feedback
Be careful who you choose to listen to. Too much of the wrong feedback and ideas can choke your creativity and your beliefs. Does the person giving you feedback share your lens? Do they fit your target persona?
Nick Kellet Co-‐founder
Listly
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Click Here for Even More Entrepreneurship Advice >
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Never, ever, settle on a co-‐founder. If it's not right, take a pause. Even if you have to drop the project entirely for a while. Even if you fall far behind. Because a great co-‐founder will just take you to so many amazing places, so much faster.
Jason Lemkin, Co-‐Founder/CEO Echosign and SaaStr
On finding your “other half”“
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Build a team of people that aspire. You don’t want the person who is the best in the field, you want the person who desperately wants to be that person.
Jessica Jessup Co-‐founder
Giftovus
On hiring a great team
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Your employees are your most valuable asset. Even more important than your first funding round or your attempts at going viral. You
must focus on creating a work environment that is empowering, flexible and enjoyable. Also focus on hiring people much smarter than you — if you’re not, you’ve
got it all wrong.
Clayton Dean Co-‐Founder/Managing Director Circa Interactive
On nurturing your company culture
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Read, learn, and read some more! The amount of information that can be found on the web is incredible. And don't forget about books — How to Win Friends and Influence People, Lincoln on Leadership, and The Big Leap are great places to start. Start rounding out your hard edges so that you can make yourself easier to work with.
Arsham Mirshah & Chris Mechanic Co-‐founders WebMechanix
On being a better leader
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On growing leaders“
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The secret of leadership is to create more leaders. You do that by giving up responsibility and [letting] the other person fail on their own. We never learn from others' teachings, we learn from our experiences. Let your managers/leaders grow the same way.
Annkur P. Agarwal Founder PriceBaba.com
On failure and success Act more. Think less. I believe that many entrepreneurs can suffer from “analysis paralysis” and overthink themselves to inaction, which lets valuable opportunities slip through their fingers. I encourage my employees to be proactive in their roles and learn from their experiences — good and bad. Failure isn’t a negative, as long as you learn from what you did!
Rob Bellenfant Founder/CEO TechnologyAdvice
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On the mental hardships of being a founder
There's nothing better than starting your own business but you have to be OK with the ups and downs. You are going to have higher highs and lower lows than you've ever had before. From an emotional standpoint, you need to be ok with this. But in the end I'd advise "just do it."
Will von Bernuth Co-‐founder Block Island Organics
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Wrike.com Where Work Gets Done.
Want to hear more from startup founders around the world?
Visit the Wrike blog to read advice from all 30 founders who their business tips.
wrike.com/blog
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Click Here For More Entrepreneurship Advice
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