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​Elon Musk Gives Budding Entrepreneurs Inspiring Advice

​Elon Musk Gives Budding Entrepreneurs Inspiring Advice

Musk said that if you're the kind of person who needs advice on how to make it, you're probably not cut out for being an entrepreneur

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Elon Musk is a man who can make money out of just about anything. Having started out creating his fortune with PayPal, he's now worth the mega bucks as owner of auto manufacturer Tesla and rocket company SpaceX.

He also even made $300,000 (£224,300) selling hats bearing the name of his rock-boring company, proving that the dude's entrepreneurial flair is nothing to be laughed at.

So he's probably the man to go to for a spot of inspirational advice, right? Wrong. So wrong.

He once hosted a group of students from Draper University, who came to check out his Tesla factory and soak up some of those sweet success vibes.

According to Business Insider, one asked him: "As an established entrepreneur, what is the number one tip you have for all the young entrepreneurs waiting to startup?"

He basically shut them right now by saying that if you're the kind of person who needs a 'number one tip', then you're not cut out for the entrepreneurial path.

"I think it's very difficult to start companies, it's quite painful.

"A friend of mine has a good phrase for doing a startup: it's like eating glass and staring into the abyss. If you are wired to do it, then only do it, not otherwise.

"So think of it this way: if you need inspiring words, don't do it!"

PA

Helpful stuff, Musk. Cheers for that one.

But fair dos - one of the students present on the day, Thomas Brag, reckons his comment was actually more useful than it initially sounded

He explains that it wasn't until his first company failed that he fully understood Musk's words.

"The day we shut down, what he said popped back into my head, and I realised three things that day," Brag explains in one of his YouTube videos.

"First, being an entrepreneur has kind of been glorified in movies and TV shows, when for the most part, running a company kind of sucks.

"Many of us are not ready for it or are more interested in the idea of being an entrepreneur rather than actually be willing to put in the work to become one.

"Second: his advice kind of served as a poser filter. Sitting in front of a group of 50 people all saying they want to be entrepreneurs while the truth is most of us probably weren't suited for it or ready for it - and so if you're discouraged by someone telling you not to do it, you probably weren't meant to do it in the first place."

Brag adds that, finally, for anyone that's truly driven, what he said should only fuel you with more motivation.

Thankfully, it seems the 46-year-old multi-billionaire isn't completely averse to sharing some of his keys to success.

In a Reddit AMA he was asked what habits he believes to have had the biggest impact on him, to which he replied: "Waking up early, expressing gratitude, and meditating."

All three very achievable things - brilliant, we'll all be billionaires within no time.

Oh. Waking up early, you say? In that case, as you were.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: tesla, elon musk, Inspirational, Technology