I tell entrepreneurs that Google was an “exception” to all the investment and startup rules, but I’ve always wondered what it takes to be an exception. Since every business is built by unique individuals, I’m totally convinced that exceptional people are the key to an exceptional company.To check out the Google founders, and because I still see so many business plans that are modeled after Google (more search engines, and more billion dollar growth models), I had to take a look at the recent book, called “Inside Larry & Sergey’s Brain,” by Richard L. Brandt. It didn’t disappoint me.This book was not sanctioned by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, so it’s not a love story. All the controversy is highlighted, but the message stills seem to be that these guys were and are exceptional in their efforts to build a company.Here are some lessons from the book that all entrepreneurs should wish they could emulate.
6 Lessons Every Entrepreneur Should Learn From Google's Founders
They are independently outstanding, but complementary founders
Larry is the primary thinker about the company’s future direction, and weighs in heavily on key hiring decisions. Sergey, a mathematical wizard, is the arbiter of Google’s technological approach. Both have a deep sense of moral values and ethics, and work well together.
They've employed unique business tactics
Technology alone does not make a great company. Business tactics do. Google developed the most profitable form of advertising anyone had ever seen, ads selected real-time based on search terms.They focused on small advertisers looking for bargains. The model was a perfect fit for the Internet Age.
They were able to survive phenomenal growth
In 2003, just four years old, sales hit $1.5 billion, profit was $100 million, and it had taken over some 80 percent of the world’s search queries. Google now employs about twenty thousand people.Most founders don’t survive this kind of growth and change, but Larry and Sergey are still a well-balanced machine.
They've handled being loved and hated at the same time
Larry and Sergey have been wickedly clever. They break the mold. They challenge old industries and make a lot of enemies. They’re ruthless businessmen.Yet through it all, they’re idealists, believers in the power of the Internet to make the world a better place.They've surrounded themselves with the best peopleEarly on, they were able to get money from the likes of Andy Bechtolsheim (founded Sun Microsystems) and John Doerr (Kleiner Perkins). They convinced Eric Schmidt (CEO at Novell) to take the reins with them for growth, and now have Dr. Larry Brilliant for the philanthropic arm. Amazing.
They continue to think big
According to the book, both founders continue to think big. Some of their ideas are as flighty as space travel; others are as grounded as the DNA that makes them who they are.No one proclaims to know where its leaders will take Google next, but everyone expects more great things.
Are you another exception to the rule?
Even the pros should probably pay attention here, to sharpen their game and to improve the accuracy of their assessments about people in general, as well as Google’s motivations and intentions. I think Larry and Sergey have shown a relentless focus on innovation that puts them miles ahead of competitors on all fronts. I challenge each of you, as you reflect on your own vision and entrepreneurial plans, to take a lesson from Larry and Sergey. Do you have the intestinal fortitude to walk away rather than be “corrupted by financial interests,” or to ignore conventional wisdom and follow your own instincts? If so, then you too may be the exception that even the best and the brightest will line up to support. This world needs more exceptional people. Act like one and you too may beat the odds.
I hope this post can inspire all the youngster that they can be a billionaire when they are young too. As long as we have a target and strike hard for it. Now check out the youngest billionaires. See what they do to achieve their dream to become a successful and outstanding person in the society!
1 ) Larry Page (Net Worth : $12 Bil)
Larry Page is a US computer scientist best known as co-founder of Google Inc. With partner Sergey Brin, billionaire founders inspiration behind quirky, smarty-pants culture of Google. Since taking company public August 2004, the partners’ meteoric rise in wealth outpaces the rate set by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Longtime tech exec Eric Schmidt brought on 2001; took company public 2004. Sales: $21.8 billion. Net margins: 19%. Page heads Google’s product division.
2 ) Sergey Brin (Net Worth : $12 Bil)
Sergey Brin is a Russian-born American computer scientist[5] best known as the co-founder of Google, Inc., the world’s largest Internet company, based on its search engine and online advertising technology.He met partner Larry Page (a tad older and a tad poorer) while both were students in the computer science Ph.D. program at Stanford. The duo dropped out to start Google in a garage they sublet from the sister of Brin now wife, Anne Wojcicki, whom he married in 2007
. 3 ) Kostyantin Zhevago (Net Worth : $3.4 Bil)
Ukraine’s youngest billionaire started out as finance director of bank Finance & Credit in 1992. Planning to take public Finance & Credit Bank in the next two years; this follows the successful initial offering of iron ore producer Ferrexpo in London in May 2007. Also a deputy in Ukraine’s parliament; ally of current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
4 ) John Arnold (Net Worth:$2.7 Bil)
In August, Arnold hardly fit the stereotype of a swaggering, 35-year-old billionaire natural-gas trader. Energy trader diversifying into hard assets: power plants, storage facilities. Father was a lawyer, mother an accountant. Raised in Dallas, graduated in 3 years from Vanderbilt U. Became an oil trader at Enron in 1995; said to have generated $750 million of the firm’s profits in 2001. Returns stellar ever since: up 80% 2008 and 16% through July. Assets: $5 billion.
5 ) Xiaofeng Peng (Net Worth : $2.5 Bil)
Born in Jiangxi province, Peng first founded Suzhou Liouxin Group, a manufacturer and exporter of work gloves, safety glasses, and other products. With the help of $80 million from venture capitalists, he founded LDK in 2005, took it public in 2007, and last year saw revenues more than triple to $1.6 billion.
6 ) Albert von Thurn und Taxis (Net Worth : $2.1 Bil)
Germany Age: 24 $2.3 billion, inherited The German prince appeared briefly on our billionaires list at age 8, but he officially inherited his fortune on his 18th birthday. Albert has been listed as the world’s youngest billionaire many times since his father’s death in 1990. He first appeared on the list when he was age eight. His net worth is estimated at around $2.1 billion (USD) as of 2009.
7 ) Shivinder Singh (Net Worth: $ 1.6 Bil)
Brothers inherited family’s Ranbaxy Laboratories, now a $1.2 billion (sales) pharmaceutical firm. Company’s profits and stock have taken a hit this year, but brothers’ private holdings are up. Both Duke University grads, inherited control of generic drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories.
8 ) Mark Zuckerberg (Net Worth : $1.5 Bil)
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (born May 14, 1984) is an American entrepreneur best known for co-founding the popular social networking site Facebook. Worth $1.5 billion, the 23-year-old debuts on this year’s Forbes magazine’s list of the World’s Billionaires – where he is ranked 785th. While at Harvard, Zuckerberg created Facemash, a website that compared students’ dorm photos side-by-side in a fashion similar to HOT or NOT. Harvard administration was not amused, and Zuckerberg faced subsequent disciplinary action. Less than three months later, he launched Facebook.
9 ) Hind Hariri (Net Worth : $1.4 Bil)
Hind Hariri is the youngest child of self-made billionaire. Age 24 $1.1 billion, inherited The daughter of late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri inherited a stake in her family construction,media and banking holdings after her father was assassinated in 2005. She was listed as world’s youngest female billionaire.
10 ) William Ding (Net Worth : $1.1 Bil)
Once China’s richest man, Ding is the founder of China’s No. 2 online game company, Netease. Its flagship game, Fantasy Westward Journey, is among nation’s top 10 downloads. Signed three-year contract with U.S. game developer Blizzard Entertainment to distribute “StarCraft II” and Battle.net to Chinese mainland. Netease’s U.S.-listed shares up 9% in past year. Enjoyed double-digit profit growth.
In T. Harv Ekers book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, he gives 17 tips comparing the difference between how a millionaire thinks and how poor people think. We’ll take a look at some of these and apply them to building your blog or website so it can grow to the level you desire. These tips are also good for freelance writers or anyone who wants to create success.
Success is often a result of how you think. This concept has been covered in The Secret, and by people like Napoleon Hill and James Allen.
Eker went a bit further in defining the difference in thought patterns–even by the way a person has been raised or conditioned to think. You can change your thought patterns–it just takes time and a positive attitude.
For now, let’s relate some of Eker’s points to blogging.
1. Rich people believe they create their own lives. Poor people believe that life happens to them.
This is a very good point for bloggers. You’re already aware that you need to create and build a blog to see success. Having that mindset will help you reach out each day and network with others to get your venture off the ground. You already know it won’t just happen–you have to create the success of it.
2. Rich people are committed to being rich while poor people want to be rich.
If you’re a blogger, writer or entrepreneur you know you must commit yourself to your chosen field. If you want to build a successful blog, you have to be committed to its success. Many bloggers want their blog to be a success, but they do nothing to promote its success.
3. Rich people associate with positive, successful people. Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people.
This is another great tip that can be related to blogging. If you want your blog to be a success, you need to associate with those who’ve already made theirs a success. Stop associating with naysayers and people who will bring you down. If you’re associating with people who don’t support you whole heartedly, you need to take a good look at those people and decide if you’re going to the top or if you’re going to accept hanging around at the bottom with them.
4. Rich people are bigger than their problems. Poor people are smaller than their problems.
Okay, you’re going to run into problems, things will go wrong. Decide right now if you’re going to let those problems stop you or help you grow as a blogger. Unsuccessful people simply give up. Your current project may not get off the ground, that doesn’t mean the next project won’t. If you stick to finding something that will be successful, you’ve won half the battle. Give your projects time to develop, if they don’t–move on to the next. Never give up.
5. Rich people act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them.
As a blogger you know it’s scary out there trying to build something great. Many people are actually afraid of success even though they desire it. When you fear you’re in over your head or that you don’t belong on the A-List–that’s when you need to push forward. Work through the fear and get past it.
6. Rich people constantly learn and grow. Poor people think they already know.
To be a successful blogger you must constantly study the craft so you can learn and grow with the business. Never start thinking that you know everything about it, or that learning is too hard. Doing so will keep you at the level you’re at.
Remember, success doesn’t happen over night. It takes dedication and a lot of hard work. Think like a rich person and make it happen.
John Davison Rockefeller (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American oil magnate. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of modern philanthropy. In 1870, he founded the Standard Oil Company and aggressively ran it until he officially retired in 1897. Standard Oil began as an Ohio partnership formed by John D. Rockefeller, his brother William Rockefeller, Henry Flagler, Jabez Bostwick, chemist Samuel Andrews, and a silent partner, Stephen V. Harkness. As kerosene and gasoline grew in importance, Rockefeller's wealth soared, and he became the world's richest man and first American worth more than a billion dollars. Adjusting for inflation, he is often regarded as the richest person in history. At the time of his passing, if adjusted for the size of the economy, his net worth would translate to about $200 billion today, placing today's billionaires well in his shadow.We'd like to add that he gave away over $500 million during his life, which would compare to about $5 billion today.
As humans, we all like to hear inspiring and uplifting things, especially in times of economic woes and downfalls. In today’s world, I think a rag to riches story would easily inspire people to continue to fight through hard times.Rags to riches stories are most definitely inspiring. Even if you’re one of those people who doesn’t dream of extreme wealth, these stories are able to show just how far determination, confidence, and perseverance can get you in life, no matter if you start from the very bottom. Here are the top ten rags to riches.
10. John D. Rockefeller
Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York and was one of six children. His father was a traveling salesman and was a foe of conventional morality. Throughout much of his life, Rockefeller’s father tried to find tricks and schemes he could use in order to avoid hard work, or any work at all. John’s mom struggled a lot in order to keep stability in the home, especially when her husband was gone for weeks at a time. Rockefeller’s family soon moved to Moravia and then to Owego. John went through school and got a job as a bookkeeper where he made about $50 in three months. In 1859, Rockefeller decided to produce business with a friend named Maurice B. Clark. The two established a firm and built an oil refinery. The refinery was run buy two other men, but soon after, Rockefeller bought out the Clark bothers’ firm and renamed it Rockefeller & Andrews. Soon his brother also bought into the oil business. By the end of it all, Rockefeller was able to find the Standard Oil Company and became the world’s first billionaire.
9. Liz Murray
Born in the Bronx, New York, Murray’s life started off on a bad note. She was born to HIV-infected, drug-addicted, poor parents that were not able to provide for her. At nine years old, Murray found herself and her family living in an extremely dirty apartment. At the young age of 16, Murray was left alone once her mother died of AIDS. Her father also abandoned her, moving to a homeless shelter. She went to high school, but often found herself sleeping in subways, park benches, or at a friend’s home. Without a great education, Murray was able to graduate in only two years and was able to attend Harvard. Today, Liz is an inspirational speaker who speaks out about determination and how no matter how hard life is, you have to move on and continue to work your way through the battles. Many movies have been created about her life.
Ozzy Osbourne
Osbourne was born in Aston, Birmingham, U.K. His father was a toolmaker and his mother worked for car components. His parents worked hard each day in order to support Ozzy and his five siblings. Osbourne didn’t do well at school because he was said to be dyslexic. Because of this, Ozzy looked towards extracurricular activities, such as music and plays. At 15, Ozzy dropped out of school and became a construction site laborer. He switched jobs between being a plumber, toolmaker, slaughterhouse worker, and then a car factory worker. Osbourne sometimes got into trouble and was accused of burglary of a clothing store. He was not able to pay the fine so he spent time in prison. Eventually, Osbourne would go on to become the singer of a local band, and many would recognize his talent. Soon enough with the help of friends, Ozzy was able to create his own band, Black Sabbath. Throughout his lifetime, Ozzy has struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse. He has been banned from certain cities, arrested many times, and even abused his wife, Sharon. However, he has still been able to produce nine studio albums, three live albums, and many singles that were able to top charts.
Richard Branson was born to a decent family in Blackheath, London. He had two parents and a grandfather that was the Judge of the High Court of Justice. He received a good education, but he didn’t do well in school. Instead of focusing on school, Branson decided to put a lot of his time into growing Christmas trees and raising budgerigars. However, both of these projects failed. At 16, Branson was able to publish a magazine and then set up a record mail-order business. In 1972, he was able to open several record stores, which he called Virgin Records. In the 1980s, his record stores were able to flourish. Branson created the Virgin Atlantic Airwaves while expanding Virgin Records, which became a music label. After starting off a poor student and not having the greatest potential in life, Branson is now the 245th richest person in the world. He also opens an island as well as land on different islands in the Caribbean.
Chris Gardner
Chris grew up without knowing his real father. His mother married a man who completely ruined his and his mother’s life. He was chased out of his home and had nowhere to go, so he enlisted in the Navy. He soon became a medical supplies salesman, got married, and had a child. However, the medical supplies industry was changing, and Chris needed to find a new source of income. He was able to find interest in stock broking, after seeing a stock broker with a Ferrari. At this time, Chris had no money and his wife was gone. His son proved to be his motivation, even though the two slept in subway station bathrooms. Chris was able to pass a licensing exam and received a job at Bear Sterns. Here he’d make cold calls to get clients. By 1987, things had turned around for Chris. He had a home and was making money. In the same year, he was able to start his brokerage firm called Gardner Rich & Co.
H. Wayne Huizenga
Wayne was born in Chicago, Illinois. In his early teens, Wayne and his family moved to Florida, but he soon realized that his father was not the male figure he should look up to. He abused his wife, but the move to Florida was made in hopes to keep the marriage from divorce. However, Wayne’s dad did not change, and he continuously abused his family. Wayne went to high school and afterward moved back to Chicago to go to college, but he soon dropped out. He then signed up to be part of the Army reserves and trained. After training he went back to Florida, bought a truck, and began taking garbage out of his county. Eventually, the one garbage truck he had purchased grew into a highly successful business. It ran all throughout Southern Florida and soon became known as Waste Management Inc. Soon enough, Wayne’s company was known all over the U.S. Wayne also purchased Blockbuster stores, which became a huge success, and eventually merged it with Viacom. Throughout his lifetime, Wayne has been able to find three Fortune 500 Companies.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey was born in Ontario, Canada. At first, Jim’s family was doing just fine. His father worked as an accountant, but as Jim got older, his family’s situation deteriorated. His family had to move to Scarborough and they all worked at the Titan Wheels Factory. Jim had to work eight hours a day and attend school. Still, it was very hard to keep the family stable. After moving out of the factory to new jobs, the family found themselves living in a camper van. Eventually, Jim had the courage to stand up and decide to act on his dream of being a comedian. He did stand-up routines and loved it, so much he dropped out of high school. Jim was able to land gigs and eventually got a part on a sitcom called The Duck Factory. He also became part of the In Living Color cast. This was a hit for him and he has since been able to play important roles in movies such as The Mask and Ace Ventura. Today he is one of the most highly paid comedians.
Andrew Carnegie
Though Andrew Carnegie proved to be one of the titans of the industrial age, he was once a poor boy from Scotland. His father was a hand loom weaver, but once the industrialization of society reached Scotland, his father’s work was no longer needed. For years, his family had tough times to make ends meet, so they decided to start anew and move to America. At thirteen, Andrew and his family moved to America and he got a job at a cotton mill. He was working twelve hour days, six days a week. Eventually Andrew got a job as a telegraph messenger. Because of his great work ethic, someone from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company offered him a job, which allowed him to earn more money and make his way up the corporate ladder. He soon started investing in railroad companies, and then hit the jackpot by investing in the steel industry. His investments would allow him to have his own steel company, which was able to bring 120 billion to his wallet.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah’s rag to riches story is probably one that you have heard or know about fairly well. Oprah was born to unwed teenage patents in Mississippi. Once she was born, the two teenagers ended their relationship. Oprah was raised by her grandmother who was poor and wasn’t able to give her much, but she did teach Oprah how to read before age three. When Oprah turned six she relocated to the city of Milwaukee to live with her mother. During this time she still didn’t have much, but she was doing great academically. Oprah became rebellious and ran away from home, so her mother sent her to live with her father in Tennessee. She continued to be a great student and was able to impress many. She went from a radio host to a news anchor, and then to a television host. Today, she has her own television show and channel, as well as a magazine.
Habit 1: Always exceed expectation
Self made millionaires always exceed expectations. There are three kinds of people at work: Those who meet expectation, those who exceed expectation and those who do just what they are told to do. People who exceed expectations add value to any organization wherever they work. Habit 2: Be proactive
Don’t just sit and watch things happening – Be the change you want to see!
Asian currency crisis of Singapore in 1997 hit many companies every hard. However, CEO Ron Sim of Osim International (a company that develops luxury massage chairs) took the proactive action and entered new markets like Hong Kong and Taiwan. Result: Profits of Osim increased! Habit 3: Take 100% responsibility
Don’t blame Government, climate, society, parents, education or anyone else please. People who make millions take 100% ownership of their life. Habit 4: Delayed Gratification
What if you have a goose which gives a golden egg each day? Will you be happy on an egg a day or will you try to open the stomach of goose to get all golden eggs at once? As a result, there won’t be any egg at all.! There are lots of years invested by people before they get an ‘overnight’ success. Invest before you get returns. Habit 5: Love what you do
If you don’t find the job you love the love the job you find!
If you love what you are doing, you don’t have to work another day in your life.
If a person is obsessed with the work he or she is doing, results are far superior than the person who is just doing the work for sake of doing it. Habit 6: Act with integrity
“What was the key factor leading to your wealth”? When this question was asked by Thomas Stanley, majority of 733 multi-millionaires responded ‘being honest with people’. Surprising point: his factor was way ahead of other factors like ‘making wise investments’, ‘working hard’ and ‘having a competitive spirit’. Habit 7: Be 100% committed
Wishing is not enough, a ‘burning disciplined eager desire’ is needed to achieve results. A person gets some thing when it becomes and absolute MUST. Habit 8: Turn failure into success
“My policy is to learn from the past, focus on the present, and dream about the future. I’m a fi rm believer in learning from adversity. Often the worst of times can turn to your advantage, my life is a study of that” – Donald Trump, after turning around his $935 million debt into a $3.7 billion fortune. Remember the life story of Mr. Steve Jobs of Apple Computer? Read his story from http://wp.me/pHUHq-b6 Habit 9: Respect and love money!
Take a pause and think: Do you think that money is evil? Do you think it is bad? Rethink if you want to be a millionaire as all self made millionaire respect and love money!Above ideas are from international bestselling book by Adam Khoo: Secrets of Self-made Millionaires. You can visit his website www.adam-khoo.com
the Giving Pledge - a movement spearheaded by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates - revealed the names of 40 individuals and families who are taking up the challenge to give away at least half of their net worth during their lifetime or at death. Along with a commitment, the philanthropists all posted a letter explaining why they were taking the plunge. Analyzing their remarks offers a rare glimpse into the minds of the richest of the rich: how they view their fortunes and where they think their money should go after they die. The most common philosophy: That a life of monetary excess can be an empty life if the wealth does nothing to advance a greater cause. Buffett says he and the Gates have pitched the idea to about 70 to 80 people on the Forbes 400 list so far. While Buffett is pleased that half of those contacted so far have risen to the occasion, many of them, including Ted Turner, Larry Ellison, and Thomas Monaghan, had already made a commitment to give away much of their wealth. Still, Buffett says there are many more people to recruit, and he plans to urge others to join the giving campaign through dinners similar to the first hosted in May 2009. "We're off to a terrific start," he says. The cast of billionaires came from far and wide, including a sizeable number from California. For some, such as Monaghan, who founded Domino's Pizza, (DPZ) joining the Buffett-Gates mission was almost like answering a religious calling. Bill Gates contacted the 73-year-old businessman and philanthropist, who has made it part of his mission to promote Catholic higher education. "I came into the world penniless and as a Catholic Christian, I know that I cannot take any of it with me, so it has long been my desire to use the material resources that I have been blessed to help others in the most meaningful ways possible," Monaghan writes in his pledge letter.
William Henry Gates, known to his friends and the rest of us as Bill is probably the world’s most prominent entrepreneur. From a teenager’s interest in computer programming, he founded and built Microsoft to its position of global dominance of the vast personal computer market. He is certainly one of the world’s richest individuals. Entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship and enterprise are today very fashionable topics. The self-made, intelligent and visionary individual, who sets up a business that eventually arrives on everyone’s ‘must have’ list and sees off all rivals, is now the focus of press, film and TV. Entrepreneurs are now role models. Yet, in 1955, when Bill was born in Seattle, very few people ever mentioned the word ‘entrepreneur’. Even as recently as 1975, when Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft, calling a business person an entrepreneur was often a term of abuse in Britain, if not in the US.
Warren Buffet also known as “The Oracle of Omaha,” with a net worth of around $36 billion, ranks as the 2nd richest man in the world, just behind his friend and bridge partner Bill Gates. He came from a small town, leads a relatively simple life, and never forgot his roots, not only that he is also a great philanthropist.Arguably the greatest investor of all time, Buffet is chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. With his uncanny ability to detect undervalued companies and purchase them on the cheap, over his five-decade career, Buffet has gone on to make many people very financially comfortable. Yet his annual salary as Berkshire Hathaway’s chairman and CEO is only $100,000.
Sergey Bin is a multi-billionaire who is famous for founding the company Google (which is dominating the holy land as the number one site). Google is already one of the most successful Internet companies of all time, and to the dismay of its rivals is already the number one site in the holy land.
