These are some of my favorite quotes (explained with real life case studies) for entrepreneurs.

1. 
My favorite
quotes for Entrepreneurs!
Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal
Founder – therodinhoods.com
January 2014

2. Quick introduction
 I am a digital entrepreneur who has been around the
block for a few years now.
 These are MY personal favorite quotes. Some of them
have been paraphrased to suit the presentation.
 Each quote is explained by a real life case study as a
link. Do read the links patiently – they will be worth
your time!

3. Extras
 Please embed, share, download, use this
presentation as you please.
 It will be GREAT if you can comment and give me
feedback. It always helps!
 If you have a favorite quote with a really great
example, please add a comment! I will be happy to
include the same as an update!

4. “Let the cat out of the bag.”
- Anonymous
 Take away: Entrepreneurs MUST immediately
disclose bad news and never delay sharing it with
people that matter. It builds credibility, strength of
conviction and long term business relations!
 Case study: How I told my socks buyers some
really bad news and how they reacted.
Read here

5. “What doesn‟t kill you
makes you stronger.” - Nietzsche
 Take away: Nothing is ever „the end‟. There is always
something left from a bad outcome that can make you
stronger, better and more successful than you have
ever been before.
 Case study: How I was told to get lost from my own
Company and how that turned out to be a blessing in
disguise. Read here

6. “Trust Yourself.”
- Rodinhood
 Take away: When you are building a business from
scratch, you will come across a lot of bad advisors
who will not think of your best interest. They will act
selfishly. You will have to train to only trust yourself.
 Case study: How my employees in my China office
tried to mislead me and how I reacted. Read here

7. “Know when to hold „em;
know when to fold „em.” - Kenny Rogers
 Take away: I heard these lyrics in Kenny Rogers‟ epic
song „The Gambler‟ when I was 13 years old and have
never ever forgotten the key message – Know when to
keep trying and know when to walk away.
 Case study: Despite being a pioneer and having a head
start in the mobile consumer business, when the tables
turned, I decided to walk away from my business that I
spent sweat, blood and tears building. Read here

8. “Train yourself to let go of everything
you fear to lose.” - Yoda
 Take away: If you can‟t accept failure, then forget
trying to be an entrepreneur. It‟s only when you
have the courage to lose will you have the courage
to win.
 Case study: How monks are trained in the art of
losing everything, to enable them gain what is really
important for them. Read here

9. “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.”
- Plato
 Take away: Everyone may not appreciate you, but if
you are doing something with sincerity, passion and
100% commitment, then chances are that someone
else, unknown and unexpected WILL find your effort
valuable.
 Case study: How I attracted a key partner in my
business without having the courage to even speak to
him. Read here

10. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
- Joseph Kennedy (JFK‟s dad)
 Take away: If this sounds like a neat „pep‟
proverb, wait till you try it out on yourself.
Entrepreneurs who win have to learn to walk on
fire, and usually they manage very well.
 Case study: How I almost became bankrupt in the dot
com bust of 2000 and how my VC did nothing to
help, except give one piece of profound advice.
Read here

11. “Always pass on what you have learnt.”
- Yoda
 Take away: If you want to be really successful, then
you must discipline yourself to give away everything
you know. The more you give, the more you get.
 Case study: How a single conversation with my
spiritual teacher made me start giving and how that
act of giving transformed me. Read here

12. “Keep talking.”
- Rodinhood
 Take away: Talk to as many people as you can and
try and have a conversation with one new person
every day (including the snob sitting next to you in
the plane). People and their conversations will
teach you everything.
 Case study: 9 of the most amazing conversations
I‟ve had in my life; how they helped and changed
me. Read here

13. “Vyaapari woh jo bechta bhala.”
(He who sells is a real businessman) – Anonymous.
 Take away: You can be the greatest genius in the
world, but if you can‟t sell, then you will not be
able to achieve much. Learn to sell, sell, sell…
 Case study: Some of the important entrepreneur
lessons I have learnt as a sales person. Read
here. Also check out my idea on How to sell Ice to
an Eskimo !

14. “Helping people is the only real job on earth.”
- Rodinhood
 Take away: Beyond a certain point, you will get
stuck in your upward climb. That‟s when it will occur
to you that the only way to advance will be helping
others. In helping, you will find new ideas to
succeed.
 Case study: How Shashi Ruia (One the richest
individuals in the world today) helped me 28 years
ago, for no real reason. Read here

15. “Your University is your home.”
- Rodinhood
 Take away: No one denies that a great education is
important and can be a life-changing move.
However, that does not mean that learning is only
found in classrooms. Entrepreneurs can learn from
ANYONE and ANYTHING; especially from their
personal situations.
 Case study: I am a Marwari (Business community
in India). I‟ve learnt some incredible lessons in life
and business by merely observing what was around
me. Read here

16. “All that glisters (glitters) is not gold.”
- Shakespeare
 Take away: There is NOTHING that comes easy. If you
are being lured into making very quick money, it‟s
probably a trap or an illegal activity. In my belief, it
takes 10 years to become great at something and
another 10 years to become a master. In that
process, if you become wealthy, you are „lucky‟.
 Case study: The „Qnet‟ scam (like Tulip Mania or
Madoff‟s swindle) exemplifies this point. There is no
shortcut to riches and if you take that path, you will
most certainly be in trouble. Read my Qnet inquiry
before the scam broke.

17. “Never negotiate out of fear
but never fear to negotiate.” - JFK
 Take away: JFK (John Fitzgerald Kennedy) said
these immortal words in his inaugural address as
the President of the USA, and these words are
equally true for entrepreneurs today. If you are
building a business, you will have to negotiate
almost all the time and you must do so with
fearlessness, tact and strategy.
 Case study: Check out the 10 negotiation tips that
have worked well for me in my entrepreneurial
career so far. Read here

18. “What‟s in a name?”
- Shakespeare
 Take away: Juliet made this eloquent point in
Shakespeare‟s „Romeo and Juliet‟ saying, “That which we
call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Interpreted, it means: “The names of things don‟t matter,
only what things „are‟.”
Using this quote, I urge entrepreneurs NOT to WASTE their
time and energy „naming‟ and „branding‟ their companies
because it doesn't matter. What matters is execution.
 Case study: Would you have called yourself Creedence
Clearwater Revival if you were starting a Rock Band? Read
this argument

19. “To boldly go where no man has gone
before…” - Star Trek
 Take away: It‟s self-explanatory and remains my most
favorite phrase.
 Case study: I still do not have a case worthy of this
phrase! I hope to have one, one day… and wish the
same for you!

20. Connect with me!
e-mail - alok@rodinhood.com
Facebook facebook.com/rodinhood
Twitter - @rodinhood
My social network for anyone
enterprising!
therodinhoods.com
Presentations –
http:slideshare.net/rodinhood