
What makes a great entrepreneur? - shawndumas
http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/17/what-makes-a-great-entrepreneur/
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warbee
A quote that hit close to home for me is one by Calvin Coolidge (I think I
read in a comment here on another thread):

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not;
nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full
of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The
slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human
race"

~~~
cgopalan
Definitely is a profound quote. If only I can script it into my brain and
internalize it so much that my thinking doesn't get in the way :)

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stcredzero
_Guts is selling everything you own to raise money for your new venture, like
Tony Hsieh did. He sold everything (including his loft in San Francisco) —
everything that was left from his $40 million exit from LinkExchange_

"Guts" make for a great story. However, the smart move would've been to set up
a trust as a fall-back with $3 million of the $40 million. (Which may well be
what he did, in fact. I don't know either way, and the article is worded to
allow for this.)

Better than guts is a clear head. This way, you can see where others have
irrational fear and now be swayed. With a clear head, you can take calculated
risks. With a clear head, you can see the true value of the transaction.

Muhammad Ali's use of "Rope-a-dope" in his victory against Foreman looks like
the stereotypical, stirring, "hero gets beaten up badly, but comes from
behind" twist at the end of an action movie. In reality, it was the result of
cool calculation and masterful, calm execution.

<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118147/>

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presidentender
This article comes up repeatedly, and uses a thousand words to describe one:
drive.

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law
I think "passion" is a better single-word summary of this essay. Having a
fervid passion for your start-up is what enables you to make what most
consider a difficult decision (quitting school, quitting your job, taking out
a home equity loan, maxing out your credit card, etc.) simple. This is
evidenced by the author's "pull the trigger" analogy. I guarantee that Mark
Zuckerberg and Bill Gates did not spend sleepless nights deciding whether to
drop out of Harvard--they just did it.

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cgopalan
Just my opinion - this article offers nothing new in way of information. Guts,
desire and passion are all necessary for the entrepreneurial lifestyle but by
no means its sufficient.

Also, while emphasizing the point that entrepreneurs love what they do so much
that they dont care about money, the example offered is that Jobs accepts a
salary of $1. This is misleading. Would Jobs have stuck with Apple it if his
total income from apple was just $1?

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acconrad
To head face-first into the storm when everyone is telling you to stay
indoors.

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known
Will, Wisdom & Resources

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ghenne
The man is right. Of course, you also have to have a good idea.

~~~
justinchen
Good idea, but not necessarily great idea.

~~~
tjmaxal
You need a good team just as much if not more.

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colindoc84
guts desire and passion, wow how insightful.

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zemanel
N.E.R.D. : Non Employed Rent Driven

