Lousy Students Learn How to Fail
In order to become a great entrepreneur, you need to know how to fail. Why? Because entrepreneurship is mostly about failing forward. You try, you fail, and then you try again until you break through (or fail again).
Many entrepreneurs first learn this critical entrepreneurship skill in school. As a lousy student, you get used to failure: you fail tests, homework, classes, and even whole grades. As a lousy student, if you don't get comfortable with failing, you'll probably drop out and start a business or something.
Lousy Students Learn How to Ask for Help
Lousy students who want to pass, learn how to ask for help. Fortunately, this is an entrepreneurship skill that is more important than the class the entrepreneur is trying to pass. Great companies and organizations are built one ask at a time. Entrepreneurs are constantly seeking and asking for help: help from investors, help from talent and help from their network.
Lousy Students Learn How to Pivot
The last thing failing teaches entrepreneurs is if you don't want to fail again, you need to try it a different way. Every idea, before it has its breakthrough will go through several iterations or pivots. Many companies started as something else: Avon was started by a door to door book salesman who gave away little bottles of perfume, Nokia started as a pulp mill, and Wrigley's was originally a baking powder and soap company. Failing forward and getting up to do it another way is at the heart and soul of entrepreneurship.
Who is your favorite flunky entrepreneur?
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