10 Steps to Build Successful Careers & Startups

William Quigley, a seasoned venture capitalist and entrepreneur, shares his remarkable journey from working at Disney and auditing financial institutions during the 1980s to becoming a pioneering investor. He was the first institutional backer of PayPal and later co-founded both Tether and WAX.

In a two-part interview with Work in Fintech, William reflects on the challenges of investing in the early days of the consumer internet and how those experiences shaped his future investment strategies. These strategies ultimately paid off as he went all-in on blockchain and its supporting ecosystem.

Throughout the conversation, William draws from his decades of experience, offering valuable insights on education, career choices, life decisions, and the skills needed to transition from a corporate role to founding a successful startup.

Based on the Work in Fintech interviews, here’s is William Quigleys roadmap to success.

1. Build Foundational Skills Early

• Learn from Experience: William’s early career in finance during the savings and loan crisis at Arthur Anderson laid a crucial foundation for his future ventures. He learned about asset securitization and finance, skills that would later help him in both traditional finance and tech. Young people should similarly seek to gain practical knowledge in high-demand areas like finance, engineering, or technology.
• Value of Education: While William acknowledges that a university education is still valuable, he emphasises learning to think critically, especially through disciplines like philosophy. Philosophy helps develop reasoning, logic, and analytical skills—key elements in decision-making and problem-solving, which are applicable across all industries.

"You want to work for exceptional people. Exceptional people are often difficult to work for, but they elevate your capabilities. If you’re too comfortable, you’re not growing"

2. Understanding the Transition from Large Corporate to Entrepreneurship

• Learn from Big Companies: William’s experience at large established companies like Disney taught him how large corporations operate efficiently, how to manage diverse divisions, and how to leverage consumer markets. Working for a well-established company early in your career can help you learn key business processes that are crucial when starting your own venture.
• Timing Your Exit: William realised that to capitalise on the emerging internet space in the 1990s, he had to leave full time employment and venture out on his own as a VC. Young professionals should be aware of when to stay and learn from big companies and when to take the leap into entrepreneurship or smaller ventures. The sweet spot is typically after gaining 2-4 years of experience.

3. Identifying Emerging Trends and Opportunities

• Stay Curious: A key theme from Quigley’s journey is his insatiable curiosity. He identified opportunities in both the internet and blockchain long before they became mainstream. Curiosity is one of the most valuable traits for young people to cultivate, as it leads to insights that others may overlook. Keep asking questions, explore new technologies, and stay informed about how industries are evolving.

"Curiosity is key. I find many people have no curiosity. They see something new and move on. I’ve never backed an entrepreneur who lacked the trait of asking, ‘Have you ever wondered why?’"

• Spot Industry Gaps: At Disney, William noticed that the internet was being overlooked, while later in his career, he recognised the need for a stablecoin like Tether to solve volatility in crypto markets. To develop similar insights, pay attention to inefficiencies or gaps in your industry. Often, the next big business idea is born from a frustration or problem that hasn't been solved yet.

4. Crafting a Strategic Career Path

• Choose Between Two Paths: William speaks about a fork in the road where young professionals must decide whether to work within the established rules of a big company or to innovate and create new rules as entrepreneurs. Both paths are valid, but the decision depends on your willingness to take risks and innovate.
• Develop Your Skillset: Even if your goal is to become an entrepreneur, William advises young people to first gain essential business skills by working at a successful, established company. Learning how exceptional companies operate, manage teams, and scale can provide a blueprint for your future ventures.

5. Embrace Technology and New Platforms

• Invest in Emerging Technologies: William’s early adoption of video game skins, blockchain, NFTs, and stablecoins like Tether were driven by his understanding of technology’s long-term potential. Young people should invest time in understanding how new technologies like AI, blockchain, and fintech can disrupt traditional industries. Embrace these technologies, even if they seem unfamiliar at first, because they often offer the best opportunities for long-term success.
• Tokenisation and NFTs: William’s experience with NFTs, particularly through Wax, shows that tokenisation extends far beyond art or collectibles. In the future, everything from fiat currency to legal documents may be tokenised. Understanding how blockchain and NFTs work now could position you for success in the coming years.

6. Navigating Risk and Career Changes

• Take Risks Early: William believes that early in your career is the best time to take risks, because you likely have fewer responsibilities. Switching industries, experimenting with different roles, and even founding a startup are easier to do when you don’t have the weight of a family or a mortgage. However, he also emphasises that not every startup will succeed, but the experience gained from each venture is invaluable which is why many startup founders in their 40s are more successful than those in their 20s.
• Understanding Cyclical Markets: Industries like fintech, blockchain, and even AI go through cycles of highs and lows. William highlights the importance of understanding these cycles so you can capitalise on opportunities when the market is down and avoid excessive risk when things are overheated.

7. Entrepreneurship: From Insight to Execution

• Brilliant Insights Drive Success: According to William, the greatest businesses are born from brilliant insights—seeing a solution to a problem that others don’t. Insight is rare and typically only comes from deep involvement in an industry. If you want to create something truly disruptive, you need to immerse yourself in the industry and keep looking for unsolved problems.

"I believe the greatest businesses come from brilliant insight about something. And brilliant insight is the rarest element in the universe. Very few people have great insight"

• Find Co-Founders with Complementary Skills: William emphasizes that he has never started a venture alone. Surround yourself with co-founders who have skills you lack. Whether it’s technical expertise, marketing knowledge, or operational experience, having a partner with complementary skills increases your chances of success.
• Solve Real Problems: William and his co-founders started Tether because they identified a genuine problem—volatility of funds in crypto trading. If you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, focus on solving real, tangible problems that have a significant impact on people or industries.

"Often the best opportunities come when you’re working at a big company and you realize they aren’t addressing a certain market or problem. That’s where insights happen—because you’re deep in the industry"

8. Long-Term Vision and Planning

• Create a Roadmap for Success: When William started his ventures in the blockchain space, he created a multi-year roadmap, focusing on solving one problem after another (from payments to stablecoins to NFTs). For young entrepreneurs, having a clear, long-term vision can guide your decisions and keep you on track, even when progress seems slow.
• Business Models Matter: William stresses that new business models are one of the rarest and most powerful drivers of success. When building your venture, consider not just the product, but how it can change the business model of an industry. Identifying a new business model that changes how things are done can be as impactful as creating the product itself.

"The rarest of events in venture capital is the creation of a new business model. It's like finding a sunken Spanish galleon. Most companies can survive new technologies, but very few can survive the introduction of a new business model"

9. Capitalising on Tokenisation and Blockchain

• Blockchain and NFTs Will Redefine Industries: William predicts that tokenisation will eventually impact every industry, from digital currency to legal documents. Understanding how blockchain works and how tokenisation can streamline processes will be critical as industries continue to evolve.
• AI in Blockchain: Quigley sees AI playing a significant role in auditing blockchain smart contracts and revolutionizing financial trading. Staying ahead by learning how AI and blockchain can work together will give young professionals an edge in industries where automation and smart technologies will dominate.

10. Preparing for the Future

• Stay Adaptive: Industries are evolving faster than ever, and traditional educational institutions are struggling to keep up. Quigley encourages young professionals to remain adaptable and continuously learn, especially in areas like fintech, AI, and blockchain. The traditional model of working in one industry or job for decades is fading, so being flexible and open to change is key.
• The Power of Cycles: Quigley notes that business cycles are inevitable, but those who understand and plan for these cycles can thrive even when the market is down. Industries like fintech, crypto, and blockchain will experience booms and busts, but those who remain focused on long-term trends will emerge successful.

Conclusion: The Road to Success

William Quigley’s journey from traditional finance to tech-focused venture capitalism shows that success comes from curiosity, adaptability, and an understanding of emerging trends. For young people, the roadmap to success involves building foundational skills, staying curious about new technologies, taking risks early in your career, and crafting a long-term vision for how you can impact an industry. Whether through entrepreneurship or working at a large company, the key is to continuously learn, observe, and apply insights that can drive innovation.

By focusing on these principles—gaining skills, identifying trends, staying curious, and embracing technology—young professionals can navigate their career paths with confidence, build successful ventures, and make lasting contributions to the industries of tomorrow.

Original interviews - Youtube , Spotify , Apple .