From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
Rich, sometimes you treat a wisp of intuition as though it were a four-lane highway. It's not that you shouldn't trust intuition — it's that you need to validate it.
You cannot run a business without great people, who are incentivised to be great; and so, you must protect them, and pay them appropriately.
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!
That confidence and perseverance can sometimes lead you to keep charging ahead headfirst, when what's really needed is a pause and a course adjustment. I think that's the challenge when strengths get overused.
Sports are the most valuable content and intellectual property in the world. MMA is the fastest growing sport and has the best business model in sports.
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.
I don't really like the term entrepreneur because I think to some it implies that you start businesses for the sake of starting businesses. My view is this. If there's something you want to see in the world that doesn't exist, go build that thing. If that means you have to build a company? so be it.
Despite being a perpetrator, Holmes began with a noble objective: to create a technology that would benefit society. We're well aware that her venture veered off course, but her initial intention was rooted in altruism. Perhaps the adage 'fake it 'til you make it' took on a life of its own in her case.
I just hope that those who become influencers make smart choices; it's the kind of attention that comes quickly and is very hard to maintain. The top 10 YouTubers 10 years ago are not the top 10 YouTubers now. There are a few people that remain, and who have maintained longevity, but for the most part, influencer culture is extremely short lived.
Interestingly, during my observation year at Eton, I asked a staff member if they ever intended to expand the institution. Their perplexed reaction was intriguing. They asked me, 'Why would we want to grow?' The question made me realize that once growth ceases to be the primary objective, it allows the spotlight to shift towards aspects like sustainability, longevity, nurturing a strong culture, and attracting top-notch talent.
We are unapologetically at the high-risk, low-return sweet-spot of agricultural finance. We choose to address geographies and sectors where there are real market failures or at least deep market imperfections.
If a company doesn't have a purpose, I think they are wasting their life. Making money should be the result of helping people to build businesses.