10 Real-World Truths for Startup Founders

10. The successful entrepreneur's story just makes sense. No hyperbole. When the investors hear it, their reaction will be, “That not only make sense, but it can be a great business.”

9. The successful entrepreneurial story has three parts: market discovery, doable solution, and (critically) the entrepreneur’s uniqueness.

8. You know you have a great start-up story when you see people light up with excitement. The investor will get the concept immediately and ask relevant questions.

7. Three elements of a sustainable business: 1. A service or product which satisfies a need. 2. Someone willing to pay. 3. A profitable distribution and delivery model.

6. The hardest part of building a business is not discovering the need. It is building an organization that satisfies those needs.

5. Being in the right place at the right time is how the world works.

4. Learning who you and where you excel is one of life’s greatest challenges. But this knowledge will give you a great advantage over those who don’t know or who assume too much.

3. When you discover who you are, note who you are not and where you do not excel. This will prove equally valuable and, in the long run, more so.

2. You can have all the gifts necessary to be a success. You can work harder than anyone else. But sometimes they pick someone else.

1. To grow, you must fully commit to your community. When you commit, you are challenged to serve others and not yourself. That’s when the real growth happens.