The only thing any entrepreneur, salesperson or anyone in any position can control is their effort.
As far as businesses, I was always hustling. I had to pay for my own school. I got 20 bucks every week or 2 from my dad and that was it. So I had a "whatever it took" attitude.
If you're looking where everybody else is looking, you're looking in the wrong spot.
If you have managers reporting to managers in a startup, you will fail.
Can't say no one makes money from Twitter now. The NBA does.
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