Wisdom in fragments

We can prove, with over 150 companies we've invested in – that you can simultaneously create value for the investor, and society. The reality is this- you can create value economically and socially in parallel – there isn't a contradiction.

Founder of Lotus Development Corporation & Digital Pioneer

My wife Freada coined a phrase, distance travelled. We're very interested in where somebody started in life, and what hurdles and barriers they have already overcome in their journey – and how that grit has got them to where they are now. That's an indicator of resilience, persistence, and many other character traits that are significant in terms of entrepreneurial success.

Founder of Lotus Development Corporation & Digital Pioneer

We have lived through an era where success has been defined only in financial terms- leaving out any consideration of the impact of business on communities or the world. Just because accounting standards don't require you to measure certain things, doesn't mean those things aren't real.

Founder of Lotus Development Corporation & Digital Pioneer

Most of the venture backed businesses, and venture capital firms, are a mirror-tocracy not a meritocracy! Senior executives are disproportionately drawn from a narrow stratum of society – in the US, this means Ivy-League Schools such as Stanford. They tend to be overwhelmingly white (and increasingly now Asian) but certainly overwhelmingly male.

Founder of Lotus Development Corporation & Digital Pioneer

The essence of this connection lies in an enduring quest to effect positive change in the world. The judgement criteria revolve around whether the individual endeavored to make the world a better place. This book holds the key to one of the universe's greatest mysteries: the deciding factors for entry into heaven.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

I wanted to impart this fundamental philosophy that a person should endeavour to better the world, an aspiration divorced from monetary considerations. While some might contend that financial power is a prerequisite for effecting change, I don't subscribe to this belief.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

I'd argue it's easier now than ever, given the world's increasing openness to varied perspectives. Society's acceptance of homosexuality was a significant milestone, and now we're witnessing similar progress concerning gender issues. I perceive these shifts as testament to the world's growing receptivity to new ideas.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

There will be no cure for cancer until real doctors with real patients in real hospitals can attempt an innovation. The court is primarily interested in the effort made, in the attempt. That is what truly counts.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

The true measure of success, as I see it, lies in the effort to effect positive change in the world. However, this perspective isn't universally embraced. The feeling of success, it's crucial to clarify, has little to do with financial gain or even fame. These are two entirely distinct concepts.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

Our relationship with the ocean is beautiful – you frequently see people at the shoreline, just in prayer or meditating… connecting with the ocean, letting the waves wash over them… Being around the ocean is our connection to something bigger- you can just lay in the ocean and let your worries wash away.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

I fell in love with the process first – they sometimes call it the grind. I fell in love with movement, with training, with everything between the competitions – and falling in love with that was instrumental to me because now, when things don't go right, and I feel vulnerable or emotional, I can dip into that state.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

There's just enough in your control where you think you should be able to perform or deliver on any given day – but when you really sit and think about it, you're basically trying to be predictive text for the ocean.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

The reality is – you can't accomplish anything unless you're all in emotionally, physically… you have to put it all on the table. You can't just put a little part of you out there in case you get hurt… guess what… everything about competition will hurt. The losses hurt… a huge wipe out hurts…. Breaking a board and getting hit on the head, that hurts. The more you do it – the more you build a mental scar tissue that you can lean on – That's the 'stuff' that lets you pick up the pieces and go again.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

When you step off land into the ocean, you're at the mercy of the most powerful energy source there is – you can paddle out into the water with a picture in your mind of what the surf might be like and what waves might come, and things can change… the wind… the tide… the swell… in Hawaii, I've paddled out into a 2 feet swell in the morning, and a few hours later, it's 20ft, it's really something to behold.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

I think most limits are self imposed. The limits we place on ourselves are between our ears – it's our minds telling us we could never do X, or achieve Y. It's our minds deciding what is possible, or impossible. Guess what… when you go out and do something you thought was impossible, it expands your perspective on everything.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

To me, the very definition of success is living up to your potential – and the very definition of failure is not living up to your potential, simple.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures