When we think of successful startups, we tend to perceive of the founders as supremely gifted, talented, or skilled people. However, the truth is often very different. The truth is that these people are ordinary men or women who did whatever it took to overcome adversity. If they can do it, then anyone stands a chance at success. All you have to do is follow their example.
The problem with most aspiring entrepreneurs is that they seek shortcuts to success.
Yet those few who do succeed don’t entertain such a mentality. They start small, work hard, learn as they go, and keep persevering despite the odds. Therefore, to understand the mentality necessary to create the perfect business, you must understand the story behind it.
Here are three stories that will inspire you to achieve success in your own startup business:
The Pierre Omidyar Story
Way back in 1995, a computer programmer came up with the idea to auction some of his stuff on his personal website. At the time, Pierre Omidyar saw AuctionWeb as a personal project, but pretty soon, traffic to his website exploded. He was forced to upgrade from a personal to a business internet account, and he began charging a fee to his clients. To succeed, he had to think like an entrepreneur. In fact, the first employee he hired came in just to help him handle the large volume of incoming payment checks. Today, AuctionWeb goes by another name – eBay.
The Konosuke Matsushita Story
In 1917, 23-year old Konosuke found himself working as an apprentice in a Japanese company called Osaka Electric Light Company. He had no formal education whatsoever, yet Konosuke didn’t let that stop him from designing an improved version of a light socket. He took his design to his boss but the man wasn’t the least bit interested. Therefore, Konosuke decided to continue making samples in the basement of his house. He soon started making several electronic products, including battery-powered bicycle lamps. He ended up creating a company called Matsushita Electric, which in 2008 became known as Panasonic. Today, the company is valued at over $66 million.
The Adam Pisoni Story
As a high school student, Pisoni always felt that he wasn’t really learning anything in class. So he decided to drop out during his junior year and went straight to Scottsdale College. As a freshman, he had an idea to start a business. He created a couple of ventures but they all failed. Then he founded a web design startup called Cnation, but that also failed after the dotcom bubble burst. Pisoni then moved to a mountain town near Yosemite National Park and worked for three years in a snowboard shop. In 2004, he was drawn back into the tech industry, and a couple of years later, he co-founded Yammer. Despite stiff competition and slow growth, Pisoni maintained confidence that the company would succeed. In 2012, Yammer was acquired by Microsoft for $1.2 billion.
If you study these three stories, you will realize that success can be achieved in multiple ways. There is no reason to fear starting your own business because there is no wrong way to create a startup. Even your educational background shouldn’t be an issue. All you have to do is follow your passion, persevere, and keep failing forward.
