100 POWERFUL QUOTES ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU TO SUCCESS

Powerful quotes on entrepreneurship that will inspire you to success

The best way to learn from successful entrepreneurs and thought-leaders around the world is to listen to some of their advice and words of wisdom of all time. Some of these words of wisdom come from speeches, talks, interviews, and written by these successful people.

Below, we share 100 of some of the most powerful quotes on entrepreneurship that will inspire you to success.

Also Read: 15 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs in the World

100 Powerful quotes on entrepreneurship that will inspire you to success

1. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice…Steve Jobs, Co-founder, CEO, Chairman Apple Inc.
2. “People respond well to those that are sure of what they want.” — Anna Wintour, editor-in-Chief, American Vogue

   

3. “I think a simple rule of business is, if you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress.” – Mark Zuckerberg, Founder, Facebook
4. “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart
5. “My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had — every day I’m learning something new.” -Richard Branson, founder Virgin Group
6. “Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself.” – Oprah Winfrey, media proprietor

   

7. “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.” – Lisa Lieberman-Wang
8. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs, Co-founder, CEO, Chairman Apple Inc.
9. “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” -Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO Amazon

   

10. “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t — you’re right.” – Henry Ford, Founder Ford Motor Company
11. “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” – Mary Kay Ash, Founder Mary Kay Cosmetics
12. “It was a risk. I had my husband and I was pregnant with my oldest son. But I don’t look at risk the way other people do. When you’re an entrepreneur, you have to go in feeling like you’re going to be successful.” — Lillian Vernon, founder, Lillian Vernon Corporation.
13. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over. – Richard Branson, founder Virgin Group

    

14. “When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.” -Josh James, co-founder and CEO Omniture, founder and CEO Domo
15. “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” -Scott Belsky, co-founder Behance
16. “Entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.” – David Karp, founder and CEO Tumblr
17. “The only thing worse than starting something and failing… is not starting something.” – Seth Godin, founder Squidoo
18. “When I’m old and dying, I plan to look back on my life and say ‘wow, that was an adventure,’ not ‘wow, I sure felt safe.’” – Tom Preston-Werner, co-founder Github
19. “The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.” – Reid Hoffman, co-founder LinkedIn
20. “I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars — I look for 1-foot bars that I can step over.” = Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO Berkshire Hathaway

    

21. “In the end, a vision without the ability to execute it is probably a hallucination.” – Steve Case, co-founder AOL
22. “Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.”
23. Arianna Huffington, president and editor in chief The Huffington Post Media Group
24. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” – Sara Blakely, founder SPANX
25. “Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical.”-Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO

    

26. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney, founder Disney
27. “High expectations are the key to everything.” – Sam Walton, founder Walmart
28. “Don’t be afraid to assert yourself, have confidence in your abilities and don’t let the bastards get you down.” – Michael Bloomberg, founder Bloomberg L.P.
29. “There are lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world.” – Phil Libin, CEO Evernote

    

30. “Everything started as nothing.” – Ben Weissenstein, founder and CEO The Entitled Group
31. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
32. “The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it.” – Debbi Fields, found Mrs. Fields Cookies
33. “You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do something, which is what most people do. You should focus on why perhaps you can, and be one of the exceptions.” – Steve Case, co-founder AOL
34. “Empower yourself and realize the importance of contributing to the world by living your talent. Work on what you love. You are responsible for the talent that has been entrusted to you.” – Catharina Bruns, Founder WorkIsNotaJob
35. “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.”  –Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder and CEO
36. “If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” –Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn Co-Founder and Venture Capitalist
37. “The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” –Walt Disney, Co-Founder, Disney

    

38. “Projections are just bullshit. They’re just guesses.” –Jason Fried, Founder, 37Signals
39. “User experience is everything. It always has been, but it’s undervalued and underinvested in. If you don’t know user-centered design, study it. Hire people who know it. Obsess over it. Live and breathe it. Get your whole company on board.” –Evan Williams, Co-Founder, Twitter
40. “Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand well.” –Jack London, Author
41. “Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.” –Nelson Mandela, South African Leader
42. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” –Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister

    

43. “Don’t be cocky. Don’t be flashy. There’s always someone better than you.” –Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO
44. “What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone, know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” –Dave Thomas, Founder, Wendy’s
45. “As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.” –Donald Trump, The Trump Organization President
46. “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t — you’re right.” –Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company Founder
47. “Act enthusiastic and you will be enthusiastic.” –Dale Carnegie, Author and Motivational Speaker
48. “You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do something, which is what most people do. You should focus on why perhaps you can, and be one of the exceptions.” –Steve Case, AOL Co-Founder and CEO
49. “Always deliver more than expected.” –Larry Page, Co-Founder, Google
50. “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” –Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay Cosmetics Founder
51. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over.” –Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder.

    

52. “Even if you don’t have the perfect idea to begin with, you can likely adapt.” –Victoria Ransom, Wildfire Interactive Co-Founder
53. “High expectations are the key to everything.” –Sam Walton, Walmart Founder
54. “Don’t be afraid to assert yourself, have confidence in your abilities, and don’t let the bastards get you down.” –Michael Bloomberg, Former Mayor of New York and Founder of Bloomberg L.P.
55. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” –Babe Ruth, Baseball Legend
56. “Trust your instincts.” –Estée Lauder, Founder, Estée Lauder
57. “Make your team feel respected, empowered and genuinely excited about the company’s mission.” –Tim Westergen, Pandora Founder.

    

58. “If you’re not a risk taker, you should get the hell out of business.” –Ray Kroc, McDonald’s Founder “Don’t let the noise of other’s’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” –Steve Jobs
59. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into smaller manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” –Mark Twain, American Humorist and Author
60. “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” –Bill Gates, Microsoft Founder and former CEO

    

61. “Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” –Stephen R. Covey, Author
62. “If you just work on stuff that you like and you’re passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” –Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Founder and CEO
63. “In between goals is a thing called life, that has to be lived and enjoyed.” –Sid Caesar, Entertainer
64. “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart
65. “Wonder what your customer really wants? Ask. Don’t tell.” –Lisa Stone, BlogHer Co-Founder and CEO
66. “If you’re passionate about something and you work hard, then I think you will be successful.” –Pierre Omidyar, eBay Founder and Chairman

    

67. “When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.” –Josh James, Omniture CEO and Co-Founder
68. “Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress.” –Seth Godin, Author
69. “Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph: a beginning, a struggle, and a victory.” –Mahatma Gandhi, Political and Spiritual Leader
70. “One can get anything if he is willing to help enough others get what they want.” –Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker, and Author
71. “If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.” –Mario Andretti, Legendary Race Car Driver

    

72. “Never, never, never give up.” –Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister
73. “Build something you’re passionate about. As an entrepreneur, you have to have the passion and drive to stay the course.” — Alexandra Chong, CEO, and founder, Lulu
74. “Don’t be cocky. Don’t be flashy. There’s always someone better than you.”
75. “All humans are entrepreneurs not because they should start companies but because the will to create is encoded in human DNA.” Reid Hoffman, co-founder LinkedIn

    
76. “Don’t take too much advice. Most people who have a lot of advice to give — with a few exceptions — generalize whatever they did. Don’t over-analyze everything. I myself have been guilty of over-thinking problems. Just build things and find out if they work.” – Ben Silbermann, founder of Pinterest

    

77. “Before dreaming about the future or making plans, you need to articulate what you already have going for you – as entrepreneurs do.” – Reid Hoffman, co-founder LinkedIn
78. “An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it.” – Roy Ash, co-founder Litton Industries
79. “Nobody talks about entrepreneurship as survival, but that’s exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking. Running that first shop taught me business is not financial science; it’s about trading: buying and selling” – Anita Roddick, founder The Body Shop

    

80. “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.” Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks
81. “But as an entrepreneur, you have to feel like you can jump out of an aeroplane because you’re confident that you’ll catch a bird flying by. It’s an act of stupidity, and most entrepreneurs go play because the bird doesn’t come by, but a few times it does.” Reed Hastings , CEO Netflix
82. “Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you.” – Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos

    

83. “Openly share and talk to people about your idea. Use their lack of interest or doubt to fuel your motivation to make it happen.” – Todd Garland, Founder BuySellAds
84. “Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you’re generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.” – Donald Trump

    

85. “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs, founder, chairman and CEO Apple Inc.
86. “If you want to be an entrepreneur, it’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle. It defines you. Forget about vacations, about going home at 6 pm – last thing at night you’ll send emails, first thing in the morning you’ll read emails, and you’’ wake up in the middle of the night. But it’s hugely rewarding as you’re fulfilling something for yourself.” – Niklas Zennstrom, founder Skype and Kazaa
87. Surround yourself with great people; delegate authority; get out of the way. -Ronald Reagan
88. When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier. -Roy E. Disney
89. Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision. -Peter F. Drucker

    

90. A CEO’s performance is as good as the performance of his middle managers. -Med Jones
91. There are three secrets to managing. The first secret is having patience. The second is be patient. And the third most important secret is patience. -Chuck Tanner
92. People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. -John C. Maxwell
93. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain
94. Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion. -Jack Welch

    

95. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand
96. “It’s not about money or connections. It’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone when it comes to your business.” – Mark Cuban
97. . “Find the smartest people you can and surround yourself with them.” – Marissa Meyer
98. “If you can’t swallow your pride, you can’t lead. Even the highest mountain had animals that step on it.” ~ Jack Weatherford
99. “The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.” ~ Seth Godin