If I had to choose my role model then I would give to an American billionaire named Mark Cuban. He is the Dallas Maverick owner, Startups Investor, and television personality of Shark Tank. I know about him from the Shark Tank television series that I watched when I was a high school kid. At first, I knew him as a charismatic, confident and successful business mogul. Then I dug deeper into his biography, I was impressed by what he had accomplished and what propelled him to be successful. Here I want like to share some of his qualities that made me choose him as my role model.
An insanely hardworking person. His work ethic is what gives him the spotlight. He doesn’t come from a silver spoon family, he is a self-made billionaire who started to pave his way even when he was a teenager. When he was 12 years old, he wanted to buy a new pair of basketball shoes but had no money. So all he did was sell trash bags door to door just until he could buy the shoes he wanted before. He didn’t stop that, to make some extra cash, Cubans resold baseball cards, stamps, and coins. He even paid his own college tuition by doing a variety of jobs, from throwing disco parties to giving dance lessons. He understands that perseverance will always pay off, it will not betray.
Besides that, Mark Cuban is a big believer in learning. According to him, there is knowledge to be gained from working in a company. For instance, Cuban didn’t make much when he first started out working for “Your Business Software”. But he stressed the importance learning about the PC industry and how to sell. It was the knowledge he gained that allowed him to build MicroSolutions that changed Cuban life. Back then, Cuban dedicated himself to learning as much as he could just to get an edge in the industry.
He once said that:
It’s not about money or connections — it’s the willingness to outwork and out-learn everyone… And if it fails, you learn from what happened and do a better job next time — Mark Cuban
He gives advice to outwork and outlearn others, learn from failure, and you are sure to be successful in the near future. He proved it himself, from doing random jobs to becoming a self-made billionaire entrepreneur that worth 4.7 billion USD. Even today Cuban’s spirit to learn is still raging. Recently, Cuban cited that he kept a book in his bathroom about Artificial Intelligence, doing Machine Learning tutorials, learning to build Neural Networks, and so forth so that he can be a better investor in the tech space.
Moreover, Mark Cuban is very passionate about what he does. He often compares business to sports, and for him business is what he enjoys most. Perhaps, the famous saying from him to new entrepreneur about passion is this quote:
“Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” — Mark Cuban
Cuban proves what he says. After having learnt about technology and taught himself about programming from his previous company that he worked for before, Mark Cuban founded his first computer consulting service company called MicroSolutions because he found the joy and excitement in learning about technology. In 1990, the company was finally sold for $6 million.
It didn’t take long for Cuban to start another company. Using the proceeds of his first tech company, he with the help of his college friend decided to create a new software company, Broadcast.com, that could stream online video. In 1995, the idea of an online video platform was a novelty. The idea was also criticized because many thought there was already television and radio. However, Cuban believed that his company would eventually outcompete traditional media channels, so he continued to push for his belief.
At first, his business struggled to generate any return even though he had poured enough money. A lot of money funneled to Broadcast.com, so he could not even make ends meet. But, since he was really passionate about what he was doing, he took the risks and pushed himself even harder. His passion saved him. The company eventually grew and caught Yahoo’s attention. Cuban closed the acquisition deal with Yahoo in 1999, in which Yahoo agreed to buy Broadcast.com for $5.7 billion. It marked his first major success as an entrepreneur.
Even all this large piling amount of money, doesn’t dim his business passion. Until today, he owns several companies including Dallas Maverick and has invested into more than 80 companies. He still enjoys managing his businesses and teaches other entrepreneurs.
In a nutshell, there are three characters that I admire in Mark Cuban: hard worker, love to learn, and passionate in what he does. Cuban proved that being success isn’t as hard as rocket science or being a super genius. We just have to start developing those qualities and hold onto it. Eventually the right opportunity will come to us.