From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
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.
Anti-goals are all about what you refuse to give up while chasing those goals. The trap a lot of people fall into is getting so laser-focused on the target that everything else just fades away. You put on blinders.
A lot of negatives have already happened in Greece, and now there is an opportunity. Most Greek assets have been going down in price at some time, and if you happen to hold the right assets? You'll make a killing!
To me, a great leader should be empathetic, authentic, entrepreneurial, creative, ethical and lead from the front.
Either as a startup founder or a venture capital investor, you should not care about what others believe to be exciting or overhyped. Do your own primary research and make up your own mind.
Scaling up is incredibly challenging; it's definitely been the hardest part of my own entrepreneurship journey. You might be familiar with The Peter Principle, which states that people are promoted to the level of their incompetence. It's exactly the same in the real world: if you're good at your job, it leads to advancement in your career, and then you don't get to do those things anymore that made you deserve that advancement.
Today away from monetary policy, global factors drive inflation, and for tangible goods emerging market drivers are key. We note commodity consumption per unit of GDP explodes as per capita income rises from $3000/yr into the $5000 to $15000 bracket.
As the rise of populism causes increased scepticism of business we are very conscious of our role as a firm in society. We focus on the impact that our portfolio businesses have on all of their stakeholders, from investors and employees to the local communities in which they operate.
In these political times, that's more difficult, you must plant your flag somewhere, and someone will get upset. You have to be able to take that in your stride.
When you engage with highly successful individuals who are open and honest about their journeys, it's invariably surprising to learn how much they attribute their achievements to good luck and favourable circumstances.
One of the common myths about setting up business in the UAE is that funding is challenging to obtain in the country. This couldn't be further from the truth. With UAE's pro-investment laws and a robust financing sector, new businesses find it very easy to secure funds through various channels.
What seemed like trash to this giant software company was akin to Aladdin's treasure for a 12-year-old. I recruited my older sister as my business partner, and we began to gather discarded floppy disks using my youngest sister's pram. As an added bonus, we offered same-day delivery, a feature that we cheekily called 'Amazon Now'.