The Blog

Entrepreneurs often ask me what the biggest factor was in our success. They want to know exactly what we did and how we did it so that they can duplicate that success. The truth is that there isn’t one thing, and there never is. You can never attribute the success of a multi-year, multi-person venture down to exactly one thing. However, there are factors that can help.

The advice I give to entrepreneurs is simple: just keep trying. Succeeding with a business is a result of hard work and constantly trying new things. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket and hope it works out. Try something, get it out there, and repeat.

Many entrepreneurs are stuck on the notion of a “master plan.” They think of a huge idea with huge potential returns, huge risk, and a huge cost. In reality, no one can perfectly plan where the business will take you.

Instead of executing on a plan with a high risk and high reward, I encourage entrepreneurs to take baby steps. Interested in a particular market? What’s the quickest, simplest project you could do to take you there? Have a product idea? What’s the easiest and quickest way to develop a prototype? How can you get something out in a month instead of a year?

While not the single key to our success, adaptability has been a huge part of it. Take an idea, try it out, and learn from it. Instead of plotting out a 12-month plan to launch your business, focus instead of taking smaller steps in the general direction you want to go. The knowledge you gain along the path of iteration is well worth it.