The Harsh Realities of Entrepreneurship & What to Do When it All Goes Wrong With Jason Saltzman

Jason Saltzman is a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in sales and marketing. Through his role as CEO of Alley and as a TechStars mentor, he advises hundreds of startups, offering real life practical application and creative marketing advice.  He is also considered a “must know” in the New York City entrepreneurial scene.

Favorite Success Quote

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” ~

Key Points

1. Your Ideas Are Irrelevant to Your Success

Everyone is familiar with the phrase “Billion dollar idea.” 

And more than mere familiarity, everyone I know of has actually had one of these billion dollar ideas.

They prance around for a few days or a week telling their friends and family about this new concept they developed that is going to revolutionize the world in some weird way.

Whether it’s a microwave that never burns your popcorn, a shirt that you never have to wash, or an actual flying car, everyone has had one of these ideas at some point in their life.

So why the hell are they not all billionaires?

Because ideas are irrelevant to success, execution is the only thing that matters.

A good idea is worth exactly $0 unless it is acted upon, unless it is taken from idea to concept, from concept to prototype, and prototype to product.

You have to realize that this is one of the irrefutable truths of entrepreneurship.

You can have the greatest ideas on the planet, but without a propensity for action and the ability to execute your ideas at lightning fast speeds, you will never succeed.

2. Success Requires Patience

There is an old quote from Tony Robbins that “We overestimate what we can accomplish in a year and underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade.”

And it’s true.

Most people want to completely turn their lives around in a short 12 month period, and while it is definitely possible, it is also highly improbable.

Success takes time, but most people are unwilling to take the time necessary to succeed.

And this seems odd to me.

Because when you think about it, that time will pass whether you are patiently pursuing your dreams or doing something that makes you miserable, the only difference is that one path will result in a lifetime of success and happiness and one will result in misery and malcontent.

Jason spent nearly 15 years as an entrepreneur before he saw the success he wanted.

15 years of late nights, subpar revenue, failed businesses, stress, and frustration.

He could have quit, he could have gone the route of the 9-5, he could have said that it just wasn’t worth it.

And what would have happened if he had?

Instead of achieving success a little bit later in life than he would have preferred, he likely never would have achieved success.

His impatience would have lead to failure and he wouldn’t be on the show with the knowledge, wisdom, and results that he has today.

3. Entrepreneurship Can Suck 

Have you ever met someone who has actually been to war?

If you have ever had the courage to ask them about their service, you have likely heard them all utter the phrase “It ain’t like you see in the movies.”

In our modern society, we glamorize war. We show soldiers valiantly defending their country, overcoming unbeatable odds, and heroically facing the enemy.

But the reality of war is much different.

If you have ever spoken with a veteran, they will tell you how war really is.

They don’t feel courageous or valiant as they witness their friends dying next to them. They don’t feel like heroes as they struggle through wounds and exhaustion to hold back the enemy, and they sure as hell don’t feel glamorous as they are crawling through the desert with a broken leg and three bullet wounds, t