I've been meaning to introduce Collin Anderson to you all for sometime. Collin is the President of Neuros, and we were partners at Digital Innovation as well.

He's an MBA from the University of Chicago and they asked him to write something on Entrepreneurship, that I thought I would include below.

“What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur, and what advice do you have for others who are trying to do the kind of work you do?”

As an entrepreneur, you will face rejection and failure almost daily. More than anything you will need to have a “just get it done” mindset. If it doesn’t work one way, find another. If you find it embarrassing or beneath you to get down and scrap, find another profession.

Make a focused plan. Where are we today in terms of skills and resources? Where do we need to be to achieve success? How do we get there? Don’t go it alone. Your chances of success will multiply if you find a partner with complimentary skills and equal commitment. You don’t have to like each other every day, but you are doomed without trust. If forced to choose, take brains and passion over experience.

Don’t forget about cash. Like oxygen, you will die without it.

Business is not one big, complicated problem. It’s thousands of small problems. Understand the fundamentals like basic accounting and finance, then let common sense and creativity take over.

My favorite definition of entrepreneurship is: “the art of manipulating resources outside one’s direct control”. Your time is limited and you can’t possibly be good at everything. Network like hell and learn to find ways to get help from people who know more than you do. Equity, reciprocity/karma, and the promise of involvement with something special are three important tools for accomplishing this.

Understand leverage. Be fair, but always look for ways to make yourself stronger in a strong position and less weak in a weak position.