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Leading entrepreneur says "hundreds of people will tell you your idea is rubbish"
Leading entrepreneur says "hundreds of people will tell you your idea is rubbish"
July 23, 2009
Not a particularly cheery headline for a business startup blog, but it's an interesting observation which we can all learn from.
Richard Reed is co-founder of Innocent Drinks, a very successful business which brings fresh, tasty smoothies (and food products as it turns out) to a health conscious market in the UK, and now further afield. I interviewed Richard yesterday for yourBusinessChannel's latest series on business startups.
It was a refreshingly straight-forward interview. No business jargon. No pretence. No corporate positioning. I asked pretty straight-forward questions, and Richard gave pretty straight-forward answers. You see, one of the things that has clearly driven the success of Innocent Drinks is that they are honest and uncomplicated in the way that they talk about their business. They call it "innocent" language. And the language reflects their way of doing business - which is also said to be "innocent" in all respects.
Anyway, we spoke at some length about starting up a business, having great business ideas and such like. And during this refreshingly honest conversation, Richard said that when you have refined your entrepreneurial idea - the idea which will be the driving force behind your new startup business - be prepared for hundreds of people to tell you your idea isn't going to work. That's right. They're going to try to dissuade you.
Richard's advice? Be ready for people to try to shoot your idea down, but if you truly believe in it, don't listen to them. Keep going, and make your idea come to life.
Great advice from a thoroughly likeable, straight-talking and clearly very succussful guy whose business has just received a £30m injection of cash from Coca Cola.
Oh, and for anyone who feels a bit squeemish about Coke buying into Innocent, I asked Richard about that and got a very interesting reply, which we'll publish soon.
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Comments
[...] to be thick skinned to survive the startup emotional roller coaster. Everyone will give advice and “hundreds of people will tell you your idea is rubbish” says Richard Reed the co-founder of Innocent Drinks. They may even think the entrepreneur is insane. The entrepreneur [...]
Refreshing ;) to hear it's normal for your idea to be rubbished. I'd take it one step further. People, including friends and family, will say you are crazy!!
Another great entrepreneur Anita Roddick said "There is a fine line between entrepreneurship & insanity". She says “Crazy people see and feel things that others don’t. But you have to believe that everything is possible. If you believe it, those around you will believe it too.”
I believe to truly create something we must leave convention, the norm and even reality behind. For a while at least. See my post for more detail:
http://nickpoint.co.uk/2009/06/02/there-is-a-fine-line-between-entrepren...
Best
Nick
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