Tech Legal by Bryan Tan
No lawyer jokes, please, but have you heard about that one where...

Startup 101: Can you give what it takes?

Tech Legal

Bryan Tan

No lawyer jokes, please, but have you heard about that one where...

Events

IBM Technology Conference & Expo 2012
May 22, 2012

One World Hotel, First Avenue, Bandar Utama City Centre, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Echelon 2012
June 11 and 12, 2012

University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore

Startup Asia Jakarta 2012
June 7 and 8, 2012

12th Floor, Annex Building, Wisma Nusantara Complex, Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 59 Jakarta 10350, Indonesia

MMA Forum Singapore
April 23-25, 2012

Grand Hyatt Singapore

Maybe it is the fact that my wife is giving a radio interview this evening on what it took to start her online maternity store. Or perhaps it's because I've been rubbing shoulders with a number of startups these past weeks at work that prompted this post.

In one of those moments, all the messages seemed to ask the same question: "What is the one quality that successful business leaders have?" The answer, it seemed, is the steely one-tracked mindedness to change the world--all the stops would be pulled out, even to the death.

Apple's Steve Jobs said, while attributing death to help him make the most important choices: "Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

Bob Parson of GoDaddy saw 90 percent of the US$60 million he sank into the company disappear. In the face of imminent failure, he decided to go for broke because he saw the worst-case scenario as not being that bad. Eventually, he turned the company around.

Last week, I heard a senior lawyer tell young lawyers in small firms that if they wanted to grow their firms, they should take the pain and risk--if they believe they can change the world.

The business fields may be different but the message is common: the way you face your greatest giant is what determines your upward bounce, failure may not be as bad as you fear.

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