Quotes from Startup Founders

“Whatever the mind can conceive & believe, it can achieve.”

from “Think & Grow Rich” book, Napoleon Hill, Author

Post from Inc.com Zine 11 Apr 16 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4

Many entrepreneurs experience anxiety, doubt, risk, discouragement, and/or fear of failure [both idea & financial] – at some point during there start. When you’re starting a business, it’s a maximum challenge. Many successful people, that have experienced similar emotions & situations, may help lift your spirits and help you stay optimistic throughout your current or future struggles.

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly. The only strategy that is guaranteed to fail, is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook.

Perseverance “I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is perseverance.”–Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple.

“Nike had it right; “Just Do It. “You’ll learn more in a year as a Founder than you will in a lifetime of working for a big corp. Joining a young startup is similar, but not quite as wild a ride as being the Founder. In either case, you’re at the leading edge of the company – defining what it will become. You have your fingers in a hundred different pies and get to work on the most interesting thing of all – Something you’ve created.” – Tom Preston-Werner, Founder of GitHub.

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney – mega entertainment companies

“Go a little easier on yourself, and in so doing, be prepared to make and do things that might seem silly at first. Just keep moving: don’t ruminate and stare at the wall. Don’t just play with your phone: go out and make it happen.” – Merlin Mann, Podcaster & Founder of 43 Folders.

“You should bring something into the world that wasn’t in the world before. It doesn’t matter what it is. It doesn’t matter what it is. Everyone should follow their creative urges. Then you can sit back and say, ‘I did it.” – Ricky Gervais, British Entertainer + +

“Challenges are always coming in a startup. The odds of getting from launch to liquidity without some kind of disaster happening are one in a thousand. So don’t get demoralized.” -Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator.

“Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once.” -Drew Houston, Dropbox Co-Founder and CEO.

“Believe and set your sights on the fact that you can do it. It’s certainly a goal any woman can have, just like any man.” – Kathleen Kennedy, President of LucasFilm – Star Wars movies

“The faster you grow, the more problems you’ll face. Start to see your struggles as a natural by-product of growth and face them with confidence. Whether you’ve run a company before or not, have a PHD or didn’t graduate high school, none of this matters. Resilience is everything, and resilient leaders win.” – Anthemos Georgiades, CEO of Zumper

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.” – Nolan Bushnell, Founder, Atari & Chuck-e-Cheeze

“Mistakes will not end your business. If you are nimble and willing to listen to constructive criticism you can excel by learning & evolving.”–Meridith Valiando Rojas, co-founder and CEO of DigiTour Media.

“It becomes most important to choose something one is passionate about. If one enjoys the process, it becomes easier to get through the countless failures before the eventual success.” – Ashutosh, Purplehed.

“Don’t be a lone wolf. Lean on the experience and smarts of your teammates, investors, & mentors to help solve the tough problems and take advantage of the opportunities.” – Seth Bannon, founder and CEO of Amicus.

“I treat my business as if it’s about to be over-come by my competition. When you get too comfortable with your product and with your revenue, you lose the will to grow”- James Parsons, CEO of BlogPros.

“When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.” -Josh James, co-founder & CEO Omniture, founder & CEO Domo.

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you.” -Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay Cosmetics Founder.

“Startups are emotional roller-coasters. Entrepreneurs can shoot from despair to euphoria multiple times a day. Some people hate that, some find it’s the greatest excitement in life.” – Guillaume Decugis, CEO of Scoop.it

“Life is too short to do mediocre work and it is definitely too short to build poor quality things.” – Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack.

“Start-up success is not a consequence of good genes or being in the right place at the right time. Success can be engineered by following the right process, which means it can be learned, which means it can be taught.” – Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup.

“Overcoming obstacles in business is directly related to overcoming obstacles in life. Applying absolute integrity, passion & a sense of humor is everything in succeeding in a tough world.”–Clair Parr, Co-Founder of Live In The Vineyard

“Successful entrepreneurs develop products that inspire their passion. They have to. It’s that passion that gets them through the long, arduous, uncertain & frightening early days of a start-up.” – Mitch Kapor, Founder of the 1st Spreadsheet.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hard work of running a business and completely forget that while solving problems & building something you can be proud of, you also have an incredible opportunity to shape the future. Even better, you have the chance to meet amazing people and do amazing things along the way. It’s important not to get lost among the trees and forget about the amazing, beautiful forest you’re planting.”–Colin Wright, Co-founder, Asymmetrical Press.

Conclusion: Everyone has a handful of memorable quotes they carry around with them to reference and consider when times are tough. Hopefully this selection added to the list and helped you find solace through your current situation. If you have some favorites of your own you think would fit in with this piece, please share them in the comments below – then get back to doing the work you’re driven to do.

Comments: What are some of your Favorite Quotes about starting & growing a business?