Top 25 Entrepreneur Quotes for a business founder

Entrepreneur Quotes: This article is a collection of 25 beautiful quotes for entrepreneurs. As a business founder, the number of challenges only increases with time. It is only natural to find ourselves wanting motivation. Some of these quotes give us a direct dose of inspiration. Some other quotes make us pause and rethink our approach. Ultimately, entrepreneurship is a long, hard journey. It needs a consistent drive for us to keep moving forward. This collection talks about various themes such as passion, perseverance, motivation, risk-taking etc.

Top Entrepreneur Quotes

Here is a list of quotes for entrepreneurs to motivate them to continue on their quest. The word entrepreneur inherently means risk. You are taking a risk by either entering a new market or starting something on your own. This exercise forces you to come out of your comfort zone and start working towards your vision.

I hope this selection of entrepreneur quotes allows for some motivation to inspire you in the journey. I can’t commend you enough if you’re thinking of doing something on your own. It takes loads of conviction, courage and desire to work towards your vision. And I think that marks a trademark trait for an entrepreneur.

  • Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover – Mark Twain
  • One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don’t choose your passions; your passions choose you.
  • 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
  • It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure – Bill Gates
  • What is not started will never get finished- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
  • I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work – Thomas Edison
  • Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning – Bill Gates
  • There is only one success- to be able to spend your life in your own way – Christopher Morley
  • You have to see failure as the beginning and the middle, but never entertain it as an end -Jessica Herrin, founder and CEO of Stella & Dot
  • Don’t let others convince you that the idea is good when your gut tells you it’s bad -Kevin Rose, co-founded Digg
  • Don’t get distracted. Never tell yourself that you need to be the biggest brand in the whole world. Start by working on what you need at the present moment and then what you need to do tomorrow. So, set yourself manageable targets -Jas Bagniewski, Co-Founder of Eve Sleep
  • In the age of transparency, honesty, and generosity, even in the form of an apology, generate goodwill -Alexander Asseily, founder of Jawbone
  • If we tried to think of a good idea, we wouldn’t have been able to think of a good idea. You just have to find the solution for a problem in your own life -Brian Chesky, Co-founder of Airbnb
  • Ignore the hype of the startups that you see in the press. Mostly, it’s a pack of lies. Half of these startups will be dead in a year. So, focus on building your business so you can be the one left standing -Jules Pieri, Co-founder and CEO of The Grommet
  • Do not focus on numbers. Focus on doing what you do best. It’s about building a community who want to visit your site every day because you create value and offer expertise – Cassey Ho, Founder of Blogilates.com
  • You have to get good at ceding control and not taking things personally. Even seasoned entrepreneurs have struggled with that. I think it’s about not taking failures personally and also not taking successes personally -Leila Janah, Founder of Samasource and LXMI
  • If you can offer a free tier that provides a lot of value, it will naturally help your product to spread much more rapidly – Melanie Perkins, Co-founder of Canva
  • If you’re starting something on your own, you better have a passion for it, because this is hard work -Sallie Krawcheck, Co-founder of Ellevest
  • Remain self-funded as long as possible -Garrett Camp, Co-founder of Uber, StumbleUpon, and Expa
  • We learned many things while building FourSquare. One of the most important lessons is to be clear to investors about what the company will and will not do. And be open about the priorities of the things that have to be done -Dennis Crowley, Co-founder of Foursquare
  • I can name dozens of failures that we had over the years. Yet, with all these failures, we still managed to build Appster into one of the largest, and best companies in our industry. So, remember every time you fail, remind yourself these words: ‘Life won’t always go my way, but I will always find a way’ -Josiah Humphrey, Co-founder of Appster
  • If something is important enough, or you believe something is important enough, even if you are scared, you will keep going -Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX
  • If you start thinking you are good at something, that’s often the day you stop trying to be better and open the back door for someone to come after you. That’s why we always aim higher. We never feel like we’re done -Drew Houston, cofounder and CEO of Dropbox
  • There is something artificial when everyone is agreeing with each other. It’s useful to indulge people who don’t agree, and see their viewpoint or force yourself to explain things better -David Sack, founder of Yammer
  • It’s very important for entrepreneurs to look for people in the company who are not afraid of failures, for example, intrapreneurs. They make a business more successful by thinking like an entrepreneur – but within a company -Chirag Kulkarni, Founder of Taco

Other resources:

Quotes on entrepreneurship: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/entrepreneurship

Challenges faced by entrepreneurs – https://www.forbes.com/sites/alejandrocremades/2019/03/02/the-10-biggest-challenges-every-entrepreneur-faces-and-how-to-conquer-them/?sh=3c2dd4b76c3a

Entrepreneur mindset quotes

Entrepreneur mindset quotes capture the essence of the entrepreneurial spirit and provide inspiration and motivation to those embarking on the entrepreneurial journey. These quotes emphasize the importance of perseverance, resilience, creativity, and a growth mindset.

They encourage entrepreneurs to embrace challenges, take risks, and see failures as opportunities for growth. Entrepreneur mindset quotes often highlight the power of vision, passion, determination, and the ability to adapt to change. They remind entrepreneurs to stay focused, stay positive, and maintain an unwavering belief in their ideas and abilities. These quotes serve as reminders that the right mindset is crucial for success in the dynamic and challenging world of entrepreneurship.

  • “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” – Tony Robbins
  • Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
  • “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” – Unknown
  • “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” – Michelangelo
  • “Entrepreneurship is about turning what excites you in life into capital, so that you can do more of it and move forward with it.” – Richard Branson
  • “Success is not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Enjoy the process, embrace the challenges, and learn from every step you take.” – Unknown
  • “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
  • “Entrepreneurship is about taking risks, stepping out of your comfort zone, and daring to dream big.” – Unknown
  • “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
  • “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

Themes of quotes to inspire entrepreneurship

Entrepreneur quotes are a source of inspiration and motivation for aspiring entrepreneurs. These quotes capture the essence of entrepreneurship, showcasing the determination, resilience, and innovative thinking required to build successful ventures. They highlight the mindset and qualities necessary for entrepreneurial success, such as taking risks, embracing failure, and persisting in the face of challenges.

Entrepreneur quotes often reflect the experiences and wisdom of successful entrepreneurs who have achieved remarkable feats. They remind us that entrepreneurship is not just about creating businesses, but also about making a positive impact, pushing boundaries, and creating opportunities.

These quotes inspire individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, think big, and take bold actions. They serve as a reminder that entrepreneurship is a journey of self-discovery, growth, and continuous learning. Entrepreneur quotes empower individuals to believe in their ideas, trust their instincts, and work towards creating a better future through innovation and entrepreneurship.

We have a few more quotes across this site that talk about entrepreneurship and go into the details of each theme. Most of these quotes talk about

Having an idea:

Lots of people have ideas. It takes a special skill set, energy and passion to convert this idea into a business. Being an entrepreneur is about constantly adapting this idea to match business, customer needs to your skillset and passion. Also, don’t be too worried about protecting your idea. It is the execution that will make the biggest difference in the pursuit of entrepreneurship

Surrounding yourself with right people

Your people and team are the most important things as an entreprenuer. They help you create the business. Right people doesn’t mean the ones who agree with everything you do. These people challenge you and are committed to the purpose and vision of the business.

Perseverance and passion

This is the most common theme across all entrepreneur quotes. You can’t do much in the field of entrepreneurship without feeling committed to an idea or cause. Things will not always go your way, but you ought to find a way to make it work. This needs both perseverance and passion.

Working with Failure

Failure is feedback. If you’re afraid of failure and can’t stand it – then perhaps you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur. Maybe this is a bit harsh, but you get the gist. Failure is common, if we find it difficult, we ought to find a way to get better at dealing with it. We will constantly face obstacles and people who don’t believe in us. Things won’t always go our way – this is expected of an entrepreneur. But failure gives us nuggets of feedback that can be very powerful in strengthening the idea.

Ask for help when you need

It is a long, hard journey. We need help from multiple sources at different points in time. Whether it is coaches, mentors or allies – ask for help openly. There is no shame in seeking help and support. Everyone needs it at times. As an entrepreneur, you’re embarking on something bold and large. It needs support to grow with you.

I hope these themes emerge from these quotes. I’d love to know which one of these entrepreneur quotes you connect to.

Gallery of Quotes on Entrepreneurs


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Vinay Nagaraju

Product Director with 10+ years in leadership roles - team building, product strategy, coaching and mentoring are a part of my everyday responsibilities. I write about motivational words that inspire us and shape our thinking and help us go beyond these thoughts to find what our minds are telling us and evolve.

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