The path to becoming a successful CEO is no longer paved with years of promotion after promotion; you no longer need to work your way up a corporate ladder to have your big paycheck signed off by HR. The young & successful entrepreneurs of the previous two decades have proven to us that you can be a successful CEO in your 30’s, in your 20’s, hell even in your teens.
How? Keep reading and you might just find out.
We’ve gathered over 40 inspirational quotes from the young & successful hustlers of the world. Quotes that will no doubt leave you feeling full of fierce energy and ready to join this list of ambitious entrepreneurs…
“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not making decisions.” – Catherine Cook, co-founder of MyYearbook.
“To any entrepreneur: if you want to do it, do it now. If you don’t, you’re going to regret it.” – Catherine Cook, MyYearbook
“If you’ve got an idea, start today. There’s no better time than now to get going. That doesn’t mean quit your job and jump into your idea 100% from day one, but there’s always small progress that can be made to start the movement.” – Kevin Systrom, Instagram
“I don’t have big ideas. I sometimes have small ideas, which seem to work out.” – Matt Mullenweg, WordPress
“I suffer from the delusion that every product of my imagination is not only possible, but always on the cusp of becoming real.” – Sean Parker, Napster & Facebook
“If Google teaches you anything, it’s that small ideas can be big.” – Ben Silbermann, Pinterest
“Don’t make decisions based on fear.”– Jake Nickell, Threadless
“I’ve also learned that the biggest lessons came from my biggest mistakes.” – Gurbaksh Chahal, RadiumOne
“The hardest part about being an entrepreneur is that you’ll fail ten times for every success.” – Adam Horwitz, Mobile Monopoly
“Running a start-up is like eating glass. You just start to like the taste of your own blood.” – Sean Parker, Napster, Facebook
“Great products sell themselves.” Kevin Systrom, Instagram
“Every single person I know who is successful at what they do is successful because they love doing it.” – Joe Penna, Mystery Guitar Man
“Anything can be done, as long as you truly believe it.” – Ashley Qualls, WhateverLife
“We led with our conviction rather than rational, because rational said it was impossible.” – Daniel Ek, Spotify
“Find something you love and do it better than everyone else.” – Gurbaksh Chahal, RadiumOne
“If you make the Internet, live on the internet.” – Matthew Mullenweg, WordPress
“Over-deliver every time.” – Alex Maroko, Game Speed Insider
“We are really competing against ourselves, we have no control over how other people perform.” – Pete Cashmore, Mashable
“If you start with nothing and end up with nothing, there’s nothing lost.” – Michael Dunlop, Income Diary
“Focusing on one thing and doing it really, really well can get you very far.” – Kevin Systrom, Instagram
“Success is defined in units of fun. It’s all about being happy.” – Jake Nickell, Threadless
“Solving specific problems is what drives me. I am not interested in having a career. I never have been.” – Sean Parker, Napster & Facebook
“Everything started as nothing.” – Ben Weissenstein, CEO of Grand Slam Gara
Don’t let someone else’s vision of success force you to stray from the path you worked to be on. Carve your own path and you’ll always be heading in the right direction.” – Michelle Phan, co-founder of Ipsy.ge Sales
“Don’t wait until you have all the answers because you will never have all the answers.” – Zoe Barry, founder of ZappRx
“If you find a problem that people talk about emotionally as a serious problem in their lives … you can take that leap to developing the solution.” – Liam Don, co-founder of ClassDojo
“A hard thing is done by figuring out how to start.” – Rand Fishkin, SEOmo
“Some of the best learning can come after mistakes are identified and ultimately lead to a better product/process in the end.” -Al Goldstein, CEO of Avant
“Just be yourself. Work hard, and do something you love. Focus: do less, but do it better. And give back when you can.” – Jordan Fliegel, Founder of CoachUp
“1. Build stuff. 2. Make a lot of things. 3. Make a list of said things. 4. Make said list longer.” – Sahil Lavingia, founder of Gumroad
“People will stereotype all day long. But if you forget your own age, you’ll get so focused on the business that you become ultra-confident and people will forget to question how old you are.” – Gurbash. Founder of RadiumOne
“I suck at 99 percent of stuff, but I go all out on that 1 percent I’m good at.” – Gary Vaynerchuk
“I keep my to-do list short. Every morning I write down the three most important things I need to do that day to move the needle forward. This helps me to make sure I’m playing more offence than defence.” – Ethan Austin, founder of Give Forward
“It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” – Scott Belsky, co-founder Behance
“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
“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
“Success is not in what you have, but who you are.” – Bo Bennett, founder eBookit.com
“Don’t worry about funding if you don’t need it. Today it’s cheaper to start a business than ever.” – Noah Everett, founder Twitpic
“Data beats emotions.” – Sean Rad, founder Adly and Tinder
“Be undeniably good. No marketing effort or social media buzzword can be a substitute for that.” – Anthony Volodkin, founder Hype Machine
“Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you.” – Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos
“My number one piece of advice is: You should learn how to program.” – Mark Zuckerberg
“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 BuySellAd
Which quote will you be sticking to the bathroom mirror? Are there any quotes you think we’ve missed that deserve a spot on this list?