How do you do it?
That's the question I constantly get asked when I tell people the things I have done in my life. Between founding a financial firm and creating a social networking startup by 16, I have a bit of experience concerning entrepreneurship. Possessing the ability to get involved in various industries and being able to innovate within them isn't as hard a task as one might think. Therefore the question people should be asking themselves is not how he can do it, but how can I do it? Below I will be sharing two essential tips to ignite your creative entrepreneurial spirits.
As a man who possessed both the qualities highlighted below, Steve Jobs is the epitome of innovation and entrepreneurship. As a result, I'll be using him as an example to illustrate the importance of these traits, all of which he used to become the innovator we all know.
Think Outside the Box
This well-known phrase is used all the time in the context of innovation. When thinking about it, "thinking outside the box" is quite perplexing when you do not understand the true meaning of it. Common perception of the quote involves thinking of something radically different. On the contrary, thinking outside the box is a simple psychological way of making you see beyond the surface and actually get you to think deeper.
In order to think outside the box, you will need to change the way you look at everything. The easiest way of doing so is by believing that every object around you can be turned into an opportunity. This way, you will gain the inspiration to actually find what to pursue.
Steve Jobs never settled for anything. As his mantra stated "think different." This is the quote that gave him the determination to look at everything from a different perspective and allow him to innovate. As a result, products like the iPhone and iPad were produced.
Nothing is Perfect
The second and most important belief you must possess is that perfection does not exist. Anything that is manmade carries with it an imperfection. Consequently, everything around you can be improved upon. This imperfection breeds problems, whether big, small or even unnoticeable. This is the basic concept behind innovation -- finding opportunities and fixing issues people have. Issues worth fixing can range from finding a way to build hotels on Mars, all the way to creating a better version of Flappy Birds.
If the way you came about solving those issues is good enough, then people are going to flock towards it. Its important to never forget that even if a solution is brilliant, it will never be "perfect." There will constantly be something you can change to make it better and more advanced. If that were not the case, then we would still be using flip-phones and polaroid cameras.
A fact that many people forget is that before Steve Jobs got involved, computers were extremely complicated and visually unappealing. As a result, no consumer used it.
Apple's first computer, the Apple II was revolutionary in itself, as it introduced new features that were previously unknown to the technology community. Nevertheless, it didn't manage to attract the eyes of the consumers. Knowing that nothing is perfect and everything can be improved, Steve got to work. After many years of dedicated and hard work, he had created the Apple Lisa -- a simpler, yet more beautiful version of its predecessor. Following the release, Apple finally managed to garner the attention of consumers. Since then, the company has never stopped working on improving itself and it's products. This is what has allowed it to continue to be one of the most successful and innovative companies in the world.
Conclusion
In conclusion, being an entrepreneur isn't as hard as everyone thinks it is. You don't need to be born with a unique mindset or have a supernatural intelligence. All you need to do is have a specific set of beliefs that you follow. If you can think outside the box and strongly believe that nothing is perfect, then you will easily manage to innovate. Therefore, having the determination to pursue original ideas that solve simple issues will turn you into a successful entrepreneur.