7 key points to think about if you want to succeed in entrepreneurship

The four hugely talented founders who have taken their businesses through Microsoft for Startups all had seven key pieces of advice in common which we feel are important to pick out for the purposes of this blog, and nicely tie together the philosophy of what it means to be an entrepreneur in this day and age.

1. Deep tech is great.

But you need to be able to explain your product. Otherwise, your marketing, sales, PR, but also company goals become unclear and difficult to digest for people who aren’t tech gurus, which can harm your business and its scaling.

2. It doesn’t matter what background you come from;

taking risks and doing something you’re passionate about is something that can be done by anyone.

3. Take risks.

All the founders say the only things they regret are things they didn’t do; not the things they tried and even potentially failed at.

4. Failure can be the most valuable teacher.

Don’t be scared of it. Embrace it, but make sure you learn from your mistakes. And make sure that if you fail, you fail fast. Don’t waste your time trying to make the unworkable work.

5. Listen to other people and get their opinions, but don’t follow everyone’s advice.

Having a business is a little bit like parenting – sure you can inspire from others, but you need to fundamentally have your own strategy and cherry-pick the advice you truly need.

6. Have a vision.

It’s easy to get distracted by innovations and various things going on around you, but stay true to your original motivation and vision. At the same time, be prepared to be *really* flexible.

7. Listen to your customers.

They’re the ones buying your product. If they’re not happy, you won’t sell.

And a final one, on a lighter note; don’t take drugs. They don’t work, won’t make you more productive, and will make you miss out on making the long-term success of your company.