12 Lessons in Entrepreneurship

Ignite Events can be great places not only to network but to also get some great insight and learn from the experiences of others…all in a “speed dating” sort of way.  They can also serve as great practice for entrepreneurs who are new to speaking. Haven’t heard of Ignite? From Wikipedia:

Ignite is a style of presentation where participants are given five minutes to speak on a subject accompanied by 20 slides. Each slide is displayed for 15 seconds, and slides are automatically advanced. The first Ignite was held in 2006 in Seattle, Washington, and was sponsored by O’Reilly Media and MAKE magazine.

You can also see if there are Ignite events in your city on the Wikipedia page for it.  Baltimore recently had an event where Clarence Wooten gave a quick presentation on 12 lessons he has learned in Entrepreneurship, you all may find it helpful:

1.  A paycheck is an addition

2.  Beware of Naysayers

3.  Just Do It!

4.  Fail Fast.  Fail Cheap.

5.  Partner Pitfalls:  Co-founder Dilemma

6.  Be Naive

7.  Business is a Team Sport

8.  Challenge Your Comfort Zone

9.  Image Matters

10.  Shadow of a Leader

11.  Investors expect their money back

12.  Cash and Customers

4 Keys to success:

1.  Passion

2.  Focus

3.  Persistence

4.  Luck

Check the video here:

12 Hard-Won Lessons in Entrepreneurship from Clarence Wooten on Vimeo.