Surrounding yourself with people who have stepped into the ring is a great way to understand the road ahead of you and to gain the insight that you won’t win every time-to get that, you need to learn from your failures and not let them define you. Being in the fight is the most valuable information you can have. LEARNED FROM THOSE WITH DIRECT EXPERIENCEīefore starting my business, I wish I had engaged others who had direct experience. The truth is, you’re never really ready to start, and you’ll learn more through the mistakes you make along the way than in a book.
We always think that we need to learn “that one thing” or get better at something else before we are ready.
It is an always-on process for example, the context of change in our business is mostly due to fast technological advances and changes in consumer behaviors. Test, learn, and refine on an ongoing basis to discover, learn, and optimize until you reach your maximum performance point. Nothing matches the power of experimentation. Below, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members look back and reflect on what they wish they had done when they first began their entrepreneurial journeys. But there can be a big benefit to weaving in the wisdom of others. Your entrepreneurial journey is unique, and ultimately, you’ll write the story of your business’s birth and growth.
