Tag: success

The Man Who Thinks He Can

MMM 4 Comments

I came across a little poem called “Thinking”, also known as “The Man Who Thinks He Can”, by Walter D. Wintle, that I thought I’d share, and that I think embodies the spirit an entrepreneur needs to have to succeed.

If you think you’re beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don’t.

If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,

It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost;

For out in the world we find

Success being with a fellow’s will;

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;

You’ve got to think high to rise.

You’ve got to be sure of yourself

Before you can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger or faster man;

But soon or late, the one who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

— Walter D. Wintle

Sequoia Capital’s Elements of Sustainable Companies

MMM

Sequoia Capital, one of the most important venture firms that funded startups like Apple, Google, Yahoo, Cisco Systems, Oracle, PayPal and YouTube, recently released a list of principles and key drivers of success for any startup aiming to make their business successful and build a sustainable, enduring company out of it.

Their list goes as follows:

Clarity of Purpose: Summarize the company’s business on the back of a business card.
Large Markets: Address existing markets poised for rapid growth or change. A market on the path to a $1B potential allows for error and time for real margins to develop.
Rich Customers: Target customers who will move fast and pay a premium for a unique offering.
Focus: Customers will only buy a simple product with a singular value proposition.
Pain Killers: Pick the one thing that is of burning importance to the customer then delight them with a compelling solution.
Think Differently: Constantly challenge conventional wisdom. Take the contrarian route. Create novel solutions. Outwit the competition.
Team DNA: A company’s DNA is set in the first 90 days. All team members are the smartest or most clever in their domain. “A” level founders attract an “A” level team.
Agility: Stealth and speed will usually help beat-out large companies.
Frugality: Focus spending on what’s critical. Spend only on the priorities and maximize profitability.
Inferno: Start with only a little money. It forces discipline and focus. A huge market with customers yearning for a product developed by great engineers requires very little firepower.

# Sequoia Capital: Elements of Sustainable Companies