What’s the one thing you wish you were told when you were starting out?
Entrepreneurship can be an isolating path to take, especially at the beginning. Your friends and family who are still in 9–5 jobs probably don’t understand why you’re up all night with worry — why can’t you just switch off at 5.30pm?
The startup hustle life is intense. You need some guidance from those who’ve done it all before. That’s why we’ve rounded up some incredible entrepreneurs, including Naveen Jain of Moon Express, Miroslava Duma of Buro 24/7 and Don Dodge of Google, to share their advice.
Naveen Jain, CEO, Moon Express
“I wish I understood the power of the mindset of abundance, rather than thinking from the mindset of scarcity, when I started out. The democratising of information and reduced cost of unlimited computing power, unlimited storage and AI is allowing everyone in the world to do the things that could only be done by large companies or superpowers.
“There is no reason why we can’t all think big and focus on solving grand challenges facing humanity as long as we remove the fear of failure. We need to understand that our ideas may or may not work but each idea that doesn’t work becomes a stepping stone to another great idea. We only fail when we give up everything else is just a pivot towards the success.”
Tiago Pires, most successful Portuguese pro-surfer
“I would have loved to be told that there will always be doubtful moments, but if you put your mind in the process and fully give 100 percent of yourself there will be no time to deal with doubts. So get your head down and get to work.”
Mariéme Jamme, Co-Founder, Africa Gathering
“To be honest, when I was starting out no one told me a thing. I am self-taught. One thing I did was follow my instinct. My advice? Learn as much as you can, put the time and effort in and, eventually, you will get results.”
Miroslava Duma, Founder, Buro 24/7
“One of the most important things a starting entrepreneur needs to know is that the initial idea is important, but execution is everything. The idea is ten percent, while execution is ninety.”
Don Dodge, Developer Advocate, Google
“Do you have five years of experience? Or one year of experience five times? Keep reaching for new experiences. Don’t get comfortable doing the same thing.
“Don’t be afraid to ask industry leaders for advice and help. Most leaders like to give back and help. But, be specific in your ask. Don’t ask to ‘have coffee’ or ‘pick your brain’. Ask specific questions about real issues. That will get a response.”
Need more advice from the world’s top entrepreneurs and innovators? Mentor Hours are 1:1 meetings between startups and high-level Web Summit attendees, especially for ALPHA startups. Find out more about ALPHA and apply to join while you still can.
