If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, founder, or side hustler, let’s just say you’re in for a real treat. We asked five entrepreneurs to give us their top tips for anyone looking to build their own company. Read on to get the inside scoop on what you need to know before you dive in head first.
“You only see other people’s highlights reel”.
“We often compare ourselves in our entirety to only the best parts of other people. No one is perfect and no one has achieved greatness without failures, setbacks and letdowns. I make sure to be honest about the obstacles I experience when talking about my path in hopes that others can take comfort that change and challenge part of the journey.” — Jenny Dorsey
“Add value. Don’t confuse eagerness with adding value. But add value wherever you go.
Adding value requires thought. It requires a bit of learning before doing. I’m often eager to add value when I enter new groups. But that doesn’t mean my eagerness is the value. Be thoughtful.
Practice being a better listener, and a better question-asker.”– TJ Loeffler
“Start today on your idea. Do anything, talk to a colleague, write a blog post, make a prototype out of cardboard.” — Lisa Q. Fetterman
“Reach out to your heroes. It’s pretty likely they might reply. 20 years ago it seemed unfathomable to hear from those we admired most. Today they’re only a tweet or email away.” — Cameron Moll
“Time is the only thing you can’t get back. Whether you are a founder, or just starting out in your career, you only get 24 hours a day. Value your time and spend it wisely.” — Shannon Snow
Zoë Björnson is a Product Marketing Manager at about.me. She loves cheese and is currently traveling the world while working remotely. about.me/kzoeb
Originally published at blog.about.me on June 27, 2016.
