What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: Know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.
If your sole focus is money, you may create a successful startup. But if it’s impact, you can probably create history.
I think the single most reassuring thing about doing a startup is knowing in advance how difficult it is going to be.
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.
The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%.
Micromanage the process, not the people.
Starting your own business is like riding a roller coaster. There are highs and lows and every turn you take is another twist. The lows are really low, but the highs can be really high. You have to be strong, keep your stomach tight, and ride along with the roller coaster that you started.
It’s not that we need new ideas, but we need to stop having old ideas.
Having a great startup pitch has more to do with setting up and running a great company than optimizing some type of sales process to investors. Great investors can see through most tactics that you will use in the pitch process, so the best fundraising strategy is to build a great company.
If it is to be, it is up to me.