100+ Inspiring Entrepreneur Quotes

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Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. Founders must navigate risk, uncertainty, and funding decisions while dealing with day-to-day issues like supply chain and staffing. Over the years, notable business leaders and industry pioneers have shared their hard-won advice on how to succeed on this tremendously rewarding career path. These inspiring entrepreneur quotes can help bring clarity to challenging situations and light a path forward.

Motivational quotes for entrepreneurs

Thriving entrepreneurs need compelling ideas, but they also need a well of inspiration they can draw from to stay energized through the ups and downs of business ownership. Before they seize opportunities to execute their vision, trailblazers must start with an unwavering belief in themselves.

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 others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

-Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.

2. “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, co-founder of the Virgin Group

3. “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, global media leader, producer, and actress

4. “I got lucky because I never gave up the search. Are you quitting too soon? Or are you willing to pursue luck with a vengeance, too?”

-Jill Konrath, sales strategist, speaker, and author

5. “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 executive chairman of Amazon

6. “I don’t like to lose — at anything — yet, I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks.”

-Serena Williams, tennis icon and founder of Serena Ventures

7. “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 of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc.

8. “If you approach 100 people for seed capital, 99 of them may say no. You just need that one.”

-Dr. William F. Pickard, executive chairman and founder of the Global Automotive Alliance

9. “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 of Omniture and founder and CEO of Domo, Inc.

10. “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.”

-Scott Belsky, co-founder of Behance, Inc.

11. “An entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.”

-David Karp, founder of Tumblr

12. “The only thing worse than starting something and failing… is not starting something.”

-Seth Godin, author and founder of Squidoo

13. “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”

-Mae Jemison, pioneering astronaut and start up founder

14. “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 of LinkedIn

15. “I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars – I look for 1-foot bars that I can step over.”

-Warren Buffett, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

16. “In the end, a vision without the ability to execute it is probably a hallucination.”

-Steve Case, co-founder of AOL

17. “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.”

-Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, and founder and CEO of Thrive Global

18. “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 of Spanx, Inc

19. “When I was younger, there was something in me. I had passion. I may not have known what I was going to do with that passion, but there was something and I still feel it. It’s this little engine that roars inside of me, and I just want to keep going and going.”

-Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET

20. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

-Walt Disney, founder of The Walt Disney Company

21. “High expectations are the key to everything.”

-Sam Walton, founder of Walmart Inc.

22. “Don’t be afraid to assert yourself, have confidence in your abilities, and don’t let the bastards get you down.”

-Michael Bloomberg, co-founder of Bloomberg L.P.

23. “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, co-founder of Evernote

24. “Do what you love, and success will follow. Passion is the fuel behind a successful career.”

-Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay Inc. and HP Inc.

25. “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, founder of Mrs. Fields Bakeries

26. “Keep going, no matter what.”

-Reginald F. Lewis, American entrepreneur and first African-American to build a billion-dollar company

27. “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 of WorkIsNotaJob

Quotes about hard work

After experiencing a light-bulb moment, the stereotypical entrepreneur logs countless hours toiling away to bring their dreams to life. While it’s important to note that an unchecked work-life balance can impact your physical and mental health, many business leaders cite perseverance and dedication as foundational to their achievements.

28. “I built a conglomerate and emerged the richest black man in the world in 2008, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took me 30 years to get to where I am today. Youths of today aspire to be like me, but they want to achieve it overnight. It’s not going to work. To build a business successfully, you must start small and dream big. In the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is supreme.”

-Aliko Dangote, founder, chairman, and CEO of the Dangote Group

29. “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

-Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc.

30. “If you’re passionate about something, and you work hard, then I think you will be successful.”

-Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay, Inc.

31. “Make every detail perfect, and limit the number of details to perfect.”

-Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, Inc.

32. “Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard.”

-Guy Kawasaki, marketing specialist and co-founder Garage Technology Ventures

33. “I never took a day off in my twenties. Not one.”

-Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corporation

34. “So often people are working hard at the wrong thing. Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard.”

-Caterina Fake, co-founder of Flickr

35. “It is always the start that requires the greatest effort.”

-James Cash Penney, founder of JCPenney

36. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.”

-Estée Lauder, co-founder of The Estée Lauder Companies

37. “Have the end in mind, and every day make sure you’re working towards it.”

-Ryan Allis, co-founder of iContact

38. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

-Vidal Sassoon, creator of haircare brand and philanthropist

Quotes about mistakes, failure and success

Instead of fearing failure, many well-known entrepreneurs embrace their mistakes — yes, even the most embarrassing ones — to keep learning and leveling up. Even during moments of self-doubt, they know they need to keep going to achieve their dreams, as these inspiring entrepreneur quotes show.

39. “I have not I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

-Thomas Edison, inventor and businessman

40. “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

-Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, and founder and CEO of Thrive Global

41. “Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right ”

-Drew Houston, co-founder and CEO of Dropbox

42. “Fail faster to succeed ”

-David M. Kelley, co-founder of IDEO

43. “The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake – you can’t learn anything from being perfect.”

-Adam Osborne, computer pioneer

44. “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”

-Oprah Winfrey, global media leader, producer, and actress

45. “I’ve learned that mistakes can often be as good a teacher as success.”

-Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric

46. “Show me a person who never made a mistake, and I will show you a person who never did anything.”

-William Rosenberg, founder of Dunkin’ Donuts

47. “The secret to successful hiring is this: Look for the people who want to change the world.”

-Marc Benioff, co-founder, CEO, and chairman of Salesforce, Inc.

48. “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”

-Dale Carnegie, businessman and philanthropist

49. “You don’t need to be a genius or a visionary or even a college graduate to be successful. You just need a framework and a dream.”

-Michael Dell, founder of Dell Technologies

50. “Our fear of the unknown and our fear of making mistakes trick us into focusing on what we don’t know or can’t do. When we give ourselves the freedom to be uncertain and less than perfect, then we can start thinking, ‘What do I know? What can I do?’ That’s when the adventure starts – learning, thriving, conquering, failing, recouping, and having a ton of fun.”

-Kristin Smith, COO of Dolly, Inc.

51. “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.”

-Richard Branson, co-founder of the Virgin Group

52. “If what you are doing is not moving you towards your goals, then it’s moving you away from your goals.”

-Brian Tracy, founder, CEO, and chairman of Brian Tracy International

54. “Success is not in what you have, but who you are.”

-Bo Bennett, founder and CEO of eBookIt.com

55. “Failure is not about insecurity, it’s about lack of execution.”

-Jeffrey Gitomer, business author and trainer

Quotes about running a business

Once a business gets off the ground, owners need to make countless decisions when it comes to their customers, employees, funding, and product development. Accomplished founders shared their wisdom on the most critical areas to focus on.

55. “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 of Wendy’s

56. “Make your team feel respected, empowered, and genuinely excited about the company’s mission.”

-Tim Westergen, co-founder of Pandora Media Inc.

57. “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

-Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corporation

58. “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, co-founder and CEO of Facebook

59. “Wonder what your customer really wants? Ask. Don’t tell.”

-Lisa Stone, co-founder of BlogHer and BrainTrust Founders Studio

60. “Money is like gasoline during a road trip. You don’t want to run out of gas on your trip, but you’re not doing a tour of gas stations.”

-Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media

61. “The reason I’ve been able to be so financially successful is my focus has never, ever for one minute been money.”

-Oprah Winfrey, global media leader, producer, and actress

62. “Get big quietly, so you don’t tip off potential competitors.”

-Chris Dixon, co-founder of Hunch

63. “Don’t rest on your laurels. There’s always going to be someone behind you who’s going to be better than you. So you need to get out there and keep working.”

-Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET

64. “Always deliver more than expected.”

-Larry Page, co-founder of Google

65. “Ask yourself, what would I do if I weren’t afraid? And then go do it.”

-Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta

66. “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.”

-Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn

67. “You can’t ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

-Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.

68. “Hire character. Train skill.”

-Peter Schultz, founder of Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF)

69. “So if you’re firm on what your beliefs are, you get a great foundation to go make a market.”

-Ginni Rometty, former president and CEO of IBM

70. “To love what you do and feel like it matters – how could anything be more fun?”

-Katharine Graham, former publisher of The Washington Post

71. “It’s almost always harder to raise capital than you thought it would be, and it always takes longer. So plan for that.”

-Richard Harroch, founder of LawCommerce.com and Allbusiness.com

72. “The things we fear the most in organizations – fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances – are the primary sources of creativity.”

-Margaret Wheatley, co-founder of The Berkana Institute

73. “Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.”

-Jim Rohn, entrepreneur

74. “Stay self-funded as long as possible.”

-Garrett Camp, co-founder of Uber Technologies, Inc. and StumbleUpon

75. “Turn a perceived risk into an asset.”

-Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint.com

76. “It’s more effective to do something valuable than to hope a logo or name will say it for you.”

-Jason Cohen, founder of Smart Bear, Inc. and WP Engine

77. “Don’t worry about funding if you don’t need it. Today, it’s cheaper to start a business than ever.”

-Noah Everett, founder of Twitpic

78. “Data beats emotions.”

-Sean Rad, founder of Tinder and Ad.ly

79. “Be undeniably good. No marketing effort or social media buzzword can be a substitute for that.”

-Anthony Volodkin, founder of Hype Machine

80. “Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.”

-Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and investor

81. “Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered and accomplished.”

-Lisa Cash Hanson, CEO of Snuggwugg

Quotes about entrepreneurship

What does it take to be an exceptional entrepreneur? It depends on whom you ask. This collection of entrepreneur quotes points to key skills and characteristics, and cautions against overthinking and overanalyzing.

82. “Don’t be cocky. Don’t be flashy. There’s always someone better than you.”

-Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos

83. “I was once afraid of people saying, ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now, I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.'”

-Oprah Winfrey, global media leader, producer, and actress

84. “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 of LinkedIn

85. “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, co-founder of Pinterest

86. “I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.”

-Madam C.J. Walker, American entrepreneur

87. “To have a successful career, you have to approach it as an entrepreneur, even if you are working for someone else. Your career is your own private business. You have to market yourself and your abilities and knowledge just as you would a product or service.”

-Earl G. Graves, Sr., founder of Black Enterprise magazine and former director of Aetna

88. “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 of The Body Shop

89. “But as an entrepreneur, you have to feel like you can jump out of an airplane because you’re confident that you’ll catch a bird flying by. It’s an act of stupidity, and most entrepreneurs go splat because the bird doesn’t come by, but a few times it does.”

-Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, Inc.

90. “Build something you’re passionate about. As an entrepreneur, you have to have the passion and drive to stay the course.”

-Alexandra Chong, founder and CEO of Jacana

91. “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 of BuySellAds

92. “Opportunities, the good ones, they’re messy and confusing and hard to recognize. They’re risky. They challenge you.”

-Susan Wojcicki, former CEO of YouTube

93. “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

-Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.

94. “Focus on your vision. Forget everything else – the naysayers, the doubters, challenges, or setbacks.”

-Neeti Mehta, co-founder of Automation Anywhere

95. “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 p.m. – 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 of Skype

Quotes about ethics and morals

Many entrepreneurs look beyond their profit statements when it comes to evaluating success. They aspire to be a leader others respect for their strong interpersonal relationships, integrity, and character.

96. “When you’re dishonest with yourself, you’re disconnected from reality. You’re going to make poor decisions. You’re going to drop out of the moment, and you’re going to be less happy, and you’re going to be wrong.”

-Naval Ravikant, co-founder of AngelList

97. “Your reputation is more important than your paycheck, and your integrity is worth more than your career.”

-Ryan Freitas, co-founder of About.me

98. “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company”

-Booker T. Washington, founder of the National Negro Business League and Tuskegee University

99. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

-Warren Buffett, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

100. “How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top.”

-Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, Inc.

101. “If you look to lead, invest at least 40% of your time managing yourself – your ethics, character, principles, purpose, motivation, and conduct. Invest at least 30% managing those with authority over you and 15% managing your peers.”

-Dee Hock, founder of Visa, Inc.

102. “Success depends on employees. For me, knowing and connecting with my employees is very important.”

-Divine Ndhlukula, founder and Managing Director of DDNS Security Operations (Pvt), Ltd.

What to take from these entrepreneur quotes

What’s in these inspiring entrepreneur quotes? History shows that both aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs may learn from the lessons of those who have come before them. As today’s most creative and daring entrepreneurs continue to innovate and reach new heights, they’ll help shape the next generation of business leaders with brilliant rhetoric of their own.

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