Why Listening To Your Friends Might Not Be A Good Idea If You Want To Become A Successful Entrepreneur

Ben Horowitz, though raised in California, has roots in London, England. He got his graduate degree in Computer Science from Columbia University and finally did his masters at UCLA. After working for many companies, he and his friend Andreessen co-founded Loudcloud, took it public, and transformed it into an enterprise software company now known as Opsware.

Ben grew the company to make more than $100 million in profits before finally selling it for $1.6 billion. Once again, he joined forces with Andreessen and created a company under the name Andreessen Horowitz, which has now made investments in Box, Airbnb, Slack, Instagram, and Facebook. Here are some of the tips that he shared on how to become a successful entrepreneur:

State the business clearly

In sharing his views, Horowitz stated that entrepreneurs should present their business as clearly as they can. You shouldn’t over-prepare for anything. All you have to do is come in and describe the basics of what you are doing. If you over present it, then there’s a likelihood that you’re only trying to please the audience and not actually doing what you came for.

Think original and stay original

The characteristics of all entrepreneurs can vary since these people are from every walk of life imaginable. The only similarity among them is that they think original and have the ability to come up with their own innovative ideas. They usually want to change the world, as well.

Build trust among your employees

After studying successful leaders of the past, Horowitz got inspired by many of them. However, the most exciting person to him was Toussaint L’Ouverture, who turned the culture of slavery into a military one. This man led the only successful slave revolt in history by creating an army of slaves. He thought original and was very innovative in his ways. Horowitz said that most of his methods are still relevant today. He built trust among his army, and this is how the world runs today.

Communicate clearly

All entrepreneurs must communicate their working style as clearly as possible. They must share their culture and their values to their employees so that these people know what they are getting themselves into. Own yourself and your business.

The  best advice

Never listen to your friends. Your friends are right about their dreams and goals and know what they want to do with their lives. However, they are not going to give you the proper advice as they are advising you from their perspective. You have to listen to yourself if you want to be successful and pay no heed to what people are saying.