10 Motivational Quotes From Famous Entrepreneurs

Success takes hard work and dedication, but perhaps more than anything, it takes passion. You need to believe in what you’re doing—especially if it’s a big project like a startup.

Business school can provide you with the experience you need to launch your own startup, as well as building entrepreneurial skills such as leadership, financial management, and strategic planning.

Entrepreneurship is a priority for prospective business school students, with almost a third (30%) pursuing an MBA or business master’s with becoming an entrepreneur in mind, according to GMAC’s Post-GME Career Aspirations Report 2025.

It’s also helpful to turn to seasoned professionals for guidance and encouragement, whether that be from business school professors, successful colleagues, or even the founders of some of the most successful startups in the world. 

With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the best motivational quotes from some of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs. 

Whether they’re in the world of media, technology, or commerce, these quotes might just provide you with optimism you need to tackle that big project.

1. 

“I'm convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

—Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. This image is credited to ©Wikimedia Commons and used under this license 

2. 

“A vision is something you see and others don’t. Some people would say that’s a pocket definition of lunacy. But it also defines entrepreneurial spirit.”

—Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop 

3. 

“Ideas are cheap. Ideas are easy. Ideas are common. Everybody has ideas. Ideas are highly, highly overvalued. Execution is all that matters.”

—Casey Neistat, Filmmaker and tech entrepreneur This image is credited to ©nrkbeta under this license 

4. 

“Be ready to revise any system, scrap any method, abandon any theory, if the success of the job requires it."

—Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company This image is credited to ©Wiki Images via Pixabay under this license 

5. 

“Great founders move fast, make decisions, and don’t wait for permission.” 

—Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI

6. 

“People don’t take opportunities because the timing is bad, the financial side unsecure. Too many people are over-analyzing. Sometimes you just have to go for it.”

—Michelle Zatlyn, co-founder of CloudFlare 

7. 

“I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. Since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition.”

—Larry Page, co-founder of Google This image is credited to ©Wikimedia Commons under this license

8.

“Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”

—Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx

9. 

“If we tried to think of a good idea, we wouldn't have been able to think of a good idea at all. You just have to have a solution for a problem in your own life."

—Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb This image is credited to ©Wikimedia Commons under this license

10. 

“If you’ve got an idea, start today. There’s no better time than now to get going. That doesn’t mean quit your job and jump into your idea 100% from day one, but there’s always small progress that can be made to start the movement.”

—Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram This image is credited to ©Christopher Michel under this license