Wisdom in fragments

I believe many of our new generation of entrepreneurs put too much significance on money, and not enough on ideas. If you have a great idea, and the skills to execute that idea, the money will come.

The key to being successful in business is trust, you have to trust the people you work with. This trust must co-exist with competence. Many people weigh trust higher than competence, however competence is absolutely key.

If you are someone who has generated wealth, you have the responsibility to make sure this money is used to benefit the community. This is something that exists in all philosophies, cultures, and all religions. You have an obligation to the people around you, and your society.

Just before my father passed away, the company had grown considerably. He said to me, 'I have six children, and who would have believed that you, Frederik, out of all my children would have been the one that succeeded!' I'm not sure that was a compliment!

Today, entrepreneurship is fashionable, it's something you can develop in your character and strengthen. I'm not so sure… I believe that entrepreneurship is something you're born with, or not. I've met many highly intelligent, and incredibly bright people who have not been able to develop their ideas into sensible businesses. Entrepreneurship is not related to intelligence, it's something you have or don't have.

By founding my own charities, I solved that problem. Charity occupies around a third of my life, it's a big challenge and a big responsibility. Around eight years ago, I decided to donate at least half my wealth to charitable causes during my lifetime or upon my death.

Billionaire British entrepreneur and founder of Phones 4u mobile retailer

I'd had 20 years of the most indescribable intensity and focus; and not many people can appreciate what that means, because there are very few people that have grown a business organically from one person to over 10,000. After 20 years of that, I had sort-of 'had enough.'

Billionaire British entrepreneur and founder of Phones 4u mobile retailer

I scaled the business from just me, to 10,000 people some 20 years later. Scaling and keeping control of that business was practically impossible- I failed many times, but managed to succeed overall through sheer determination, hard-work and having very, very good people.

Billionaire British entrepreneur and founder of Phones 4u mobile retailer

Without truthfulness I would never have been able to grow anything of any significance, I would have been 'found out.' Having truthfulness and ethics within a business creates trust among employees at all levels and is critical. I led the company with an approach of complete honesty.

Billionaire British entrepreneur and founder of Phones 4u mobile retailer

In line with most highly-tuned talents, I absolutely believe that entrepreneurship is a genetic gift that you're born with. What you do with that gift depends on your upbringing, opportunities and inspirations; you either make them massively better or neglect them. That combination of genetics and sheer hard work is the 'secret' of getting to the top.

Billionaire British entrepreneur and founder of Phones 4u mobile retailer

The key lesson I have learned from looking at 600 years of technological controversies is that human history is a footnote on the tensions between innovation and incumbency.

Harvard Professor of International Development & Innovation Policy Expert

I tend to go with scholarship that argues that there no people called entrepreneurs but people perform entrepreneurial functions at different times. Edison performed great entrepreneurial acts. But he was also fierce opponent of innovation when it threatened his business interests.

Harvard Professor of International Development & Innovation Policy Expert

The idea that education can reduce resistance to innovation is often informed by the misguided view that people oppose new technologies because of ignorance. This is not the case.

Harvard Professor of International Development & Innovation Policy Expert

I would even say that people really don't oppose new technologies but they question the way they are used so the challenges are more social than they are technological.

Harvard Professor of International Development & Innovation Policy Expert

It is natural that a society would want to keep what they think works, the status quo. We are also acutely aware that technological changes alters society in unpredictable ways. It is the uncertainty associated with change—especially the fear of losing what we value—that leads to resistance to change.

Harvard Professor of International Development & Innovation Policy Expert

We are born creative and often seek to transform our surroundings to suit our existence. Everything around us constantly changes and so creative options for adapting to this change become the only guarantee we have for a meaningful existence.

Harvard Professor of International Development & Innovation Policy Expert