A short conversation on a long entrepreneurial journey – and a few milestones along the way

Last month, I had the chance to explore my entrepreneurial journey – and my thoughts on the factors that have made the sojourn a success – with Kevin Edwards at his Real Leaders Podcast. Reflection is always healthy, and this was a very reflective conversation in which Kevin helped me suss out the milestones on this journey that really began when my late mother bought me my first computer at the age of 7, and joined me to learn programming.

Success has no magic formula, of course. But there are a few fundamentals that we discussed in his podcast:

Support and mentorship: The early support of both my parents was critical. My mother, in particular, instilled in me my love for technology, noting I was disassembling electronics at age 4 (Pong, anyone?) and encouraging my bent from there. Both my father and mother were entrepreneurs and helped me with a daily example of creativity and innovation. But I am the product of so many mentors from my high school English teacher, to professors at the Wharton School, to my CEO coach with whom I’ve worked for 15 years, to my leadership team at data.world, which is constantly offering supportive feedback. None of us make the entrepreneurial journey alone. And I believe that all of us have the responsibility to pay forward on the debt we owe to others.

Change the world: I’ve always felt that I was destined to change the world. Entrepreneurial innovation is the means to change the world at scale, which has been my goal at all of my companies and is central to our work at data.world. I feel very duty-bound to create a better world. A major influence in my life has been the work of the philosopher, Holocaust survivor, and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, whose most famous book is Man’s Search for Meaning. As a Jew, I believe deeply in the Judaic philosophy of “tikkun olam”, meaning “to repair the world”, the idea that we all have the responsibility to pursue a just society in everything we do. Finding meaning in everything you do and striving for it is central to a healthy life. A commitment to purpose and an aspiration to leave the world a better place than you found it is key to the work of all successful entrepreneurs.

Think bigger: A common trait of all great entrepreneurs is their childlike curiosity that never disappears. Key is the willingness to live what I’ve called the “always be learning life,” the title and lesson of Chapter 4 in my book, The Entrepreneur’s Essentials. Investor legend Warren Buffett exemplifies this, as a business philosopher who reads constantly and writes and speaks in ways that people can understand. I’ve read thousands of books, listened to thousands of podcasts, and I attend many learning events, such as the annual TED conference, which I’ve now joined 17 times. With free books (that link to my Chapter 4 is free, as is my whole book), limitless access to free courseware at the Khan Academy and elsewhere, it’s never been easier – or more imperative – to constantly be developing your mind.

Abundance: Sure, the problems of today’s world are many, from climate change to political dysfunction, to crises in education, healthcare, and equality. But embracing and understanding all that is in fact succeeding, flourishing, and working is the key to confronting all these challenges. This is why entrepreneurs are on the front line, with our unending search for opportunity. And opportunity abounds. We are on the cusp of technologies to develop unlimited energy through solar and nuclear fusion; adequate food through cellular agriculture; abundant water through desalinatization, reuse, and conservation (Israel especially leads in this area); universal learning and literacy through the technology of connection with which we’re all familiar; and cures for disease from cancer to Alzheimer’s to malaria. Costa Rica, as just one example, is now powered by 99% renewable energy. When Debra and I visited for the first time last December, we were blown away by this fact.

A historical moment: The sum of today’s technological progress and promise is artificial intelligence, or AI. Entrepreneurs such as Reid Hoffman and Sal Khan are just a few of the leaders who are articulating how and why we are at an inflection point in the history of humanity comparable to the discovery of fire. Far from being the threat to humanity that many now fear, AI will be the greatest liberator and empowerer of humanity. I think of the polymath philosopher Stewart Brand, who founded the Whole Earth Catalog in the 1960s and wrote in the first edition: “We are as gods, and we might as well get good at it.” A half a century later, that’s exactly where we are. And we have so much work to do.

These are just a few summary takeaways of our conversation. I hope you’ll listen to the episode and share your thoughts here.