My businesses are usually built around challenging conventional wisdom, so I tend to gain by taking the other side. It's been very profitable and entertaining for me

Business happens over years and years. Value is measured in the total upside of a business relationship, not by how much you squeezed out in any one deal.

Having the ability to be brutally honest with yourself is the greatest challenge you face when creating a business model. Too often we oversell ourselves on the quality of the idea, service, or product. We don't provide an honest assessment of how we fit in the market, why customers will buy from us, and at what price.

If it had anything to do with the PC or networking industry I was on top of it. I bought manuals. I read every book and magazine. Then I would get involved with industry conferences and put myself out there.

The only thing in your control is effort. That's all, and that's everything.

Sweat equity is the most valuable equity there is.

Those back-to-back experiences confirmed what I already knew: That I was a shitty-ass employee and I'd better start my own business.