A sure sign of failure for a startup is when someone sends me logo-embroidered polo shirts. If your people are at shows and in public, it's okay to buy for your own employees, but if you really think people are going to wear your branded polo when they're out and about, you are mistaken and have no idea how to spend your money.

We romanticize entrepreneurshi p so much that people don't do the work. It's not just a dream, not just a goal; it's a lot of hard work. A lot of people are wantrepreneurs, not entrepreneurs.

Sometimes you buy the horse, sometimes you invest in the jockey. It really comes down to the actual business and the upside.

Creating opportunities means looking where others are not.

The NBA (National Basketball Association) is never just a business. It's always business. It's always personal. All good businesses are personal. The best businesses are very personal.

Executives should blog if they have a vision they are trying to communicate, or if they are very visible in the media.

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.