Lessons from the greatest entrepreneurs

In the beginning

As someone who is interested in entrepreneurship, I believe there is so much to be learned from the experience of the people who have already walked the paths modern entrepreneurs are trying to step into.

Entrepreneurship is about freedom to do what we like, but at the same time to help others satisfy their needs. You may be able to feel and be in tune with the past. No need to reinvest the wheel when you can stand on the giants of the past.

So below is a list of some of the greatest entrepreneurs from Investopedia website  https://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/10/the-10-greatest-entrepreneurs.asp

The giants of their time

John D Rockefeller was one of the greatest oil magnates of his days. He was the founder of Standard oil, made his money at a time when the black stuff was gold. He was ruthlessly competitive and built his empire by almost monopolising his sector to the point where his company had to be split. You know you are successful when governments have to make rules to curtail your power. There is so much to learn from this great entrepreneurs who lived at different times to ours.

Andrew Carnegie’s story has been written and documented many times. He was an example of where grit and determination can get you. A migrant from Scotland, he arrived in the USA in search of the American dream. He achieved his dream and spent the later part of his life giving the money away. If you ever want to be motivated, you have to read about Andrew Carnegie.

Thomas Edison was a genius inventor, a generous and determined man. He was known as the inventor of the light bulb. He spent most of his life making or  inventing electrical products. He later  with others founded the General Electric which is still in existence today.

Henry Ford needs no introduction. His legacy lived in the company he formed in 1903. This man with no formal engineering education was like Thomas Edison ( see above) but he had a strong desire to build his own car. He tried several times, failed and tried again. He was the man who started the mass production of motor cars. He did not build the first car, but he believed in affordable cars for everyone rather than just the rich. You can read his book ‘ My life and work’ by Henry Ford or listen to the audio on Youtube

Even more big guns

Who are the other famous entrepreneurs you can learn from. Here is a list and the area of their specialization. You can do the same and create a legacy to which others who follow you can be proud of.

Charles Merrill ( finance), Sam Walton of Walmart in low price retail. Charles Schwab popularized brokerage investments for the masses. Walt Disney, the founder of Disney world who was a cartoonist, film producer and entertainer.

The modern heroes

For the modern entrepreneurs, very hard not to mention Bill Gates of Microsoft. This man made computing fun, he made some pretty smart decisions and for many years, Microsoft was and still one of the most innovative software or technology companies of all time.

Lastly, Steve Jobs; the hero of Apple who lost the computer battle, was fired from the company he founded but came back to save the day. Jobs lasting legacy will live with many of us forever. When stories of entrepreneurs are written in the future his name will be mentioned amongst the great and it might not have happened that way. His lasting legacy will come in the form of the almost forgotten iPod and the way it changed how we  listen to music. There are also people like Oprah Winfrey in the entertainment world who started with nothing but now great moguls in their her own right. Liliane Bettencourt of L’oreal is reported to be worth of $40billion and definitely deserves to be on this list—yes, you guessed it “because she is worth it”. Lol

In your search for entrepreneurship knowledge and ideas, don’t look for ways of making easy money, but long term legacy. Of course it is important to be wealthy. Our society measures success in terms of money, but no one has ever died with a pocket full of cash to spend in the world beyond. Look to make a difference and to provide value to others.

Best of luck in your search

You may be interested in the lessons from the greatest of all times https://www.enterprisedoctors.com/talents-everywhere/