"Give me one reason I should help you!"
Strive Masiyiwa
Image Attribution: Strive Masiyiwa Social Media (Facebook // LinkedIn)
__Tough talk moment, from my own #JuniorClass days
Anyone who has ever read the Bible properly will tell you that some of the most important lessons in life do not come from nice people. "One who puts on his armour should not boast like one who takes it off," is an example.
It comes from a bad guy called King Ahab, but on this occasion, he was teaching an important life lesson for those who brag about what they intend to do.
I remember approaching a very powerful and successful businessman to get some help. He listened to me quietly and then said firmly:
“Give me one reason why I should help you? You are trying to make money just like I’m trying to make money. You are hoping to pull on my heartstrings so I can help you. If I do that, I will allow you to go on believing that the world owes you a living". His tone made me wince.
"Show me where it says I have an obligation to help you!”
It was not nice. What a cold shower!
Humiliated and angry, I sulked around and was bitter for days. I could not get it out of my mind. I swore that he was arrogant, and one day he would get what he deserved.
Then I made the mistake of mentioning it to my mother. She laughed so much, I just couldn’t believe it!
“He was right, you know. No one owes you a living. You cannot go through life hoping that a total stranger will come to your aid simply because he or she feels sorry for you!”
Weeks, months, and years went by, and soon I turned it into a mantra: “No one owes me a living.”
Looking back on my life at almost 65, and the amazing journey I have been on so far, I have steeled myself to look to God for help, and when people help me, I thank God for using them.
Listen to me: There is nothing that can stop an entrepreneur who does not want to be stopped.
This is because the very essence of being an entrepreneur means that you will find a way around any obstacle.
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor...” Attributed to Elon Musk.
That includes dusting yourself off and trying again and again, and yet again and again after that...
@LionCubs - you can do it!
Key Business Lessons
The world owes you nothing, and accepting this reality is liberating rather than limiting. When you stop expecting others to help you simply because you need help, you develop the resilience and self-reliance essential for entrepreneurial success. This mindset shift forces you to create value for others rather than seeking charity, ultimately making you a stronger business leader who earns support through merit rather than sympathy.
True entrepreneurship means developing an unstoppable mindset that views obstacles as puzzles to solve rather than walls that block progress. The essence of being an entrepreneur lies in your ability to find creative solutions and alternative paths when the obvious route is blocked. This persistence and adaptability become your competitive advantage, allowing you to succeed where others give up.
Gratitude and humility accelerate business success more than entitlement and pride. When you approach each opportunity and relationship with thankfulness rather than expectation, you build stronger networks and partnerships. This perspective helps you recognize and appreciate the help you do receive while maintaining the drive to create your own opportunities rather than waiting for them to be handed to you.
Afterthoughts
“Mastery is great, but even that is not enough. You have to be able to change course without a bead of sweat, or remorse". - Tom Peters
My team saw this post on LinkedIn, knowing that finding investment capital is a huge priority for almost all of our young entrepreneurs on this platform. Please note, I am not promoting the author himself or his organisation because I don't personally know him, but #SeniorClass, see if you agree with #ToughTalk and insights he shares:https://www.linkedin.com/.../ericpartaker_taking-money.../
"This is the story of Jan Ernst Matzeliger... THE PROBLEM NO ONE COULD SOLVEIn the late 1800s, shoes [in America] were not cheap necessities. They were luxuries. A single pair could cost more than a working family earned in a week. Children went barefoot not because leather was rare or because cobblers were greedy, but because shoemaking depended on one brutal bottleneck that no one on Earth had been able to mechanize..." [From the Facebook link below].
Mr Matzeliger worked alone and at night to research a problem he saw, produce a model, and in 1883 finally received a patent for his #Invention which has global manufacturing impact to this day. He continued to improve the #Process...
What are three lessons for #Entrepreneurs learned in the story of this remarkable #SolutionSeeker? Do your own research, too.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1233103392249371&set=a.579203447639372
https://www.invent.org/inductees/jan-ernst-matzeliger
The 30 January 2026 application deadline is just around the corner, but these type of funding opportunities may be of interest and relevant to some of you, if not now, in the future: https://innovationbridge.info/.../estonian-development...
Here's a thought-provoking essay just published by Dario Amodei, one of the co-founders of Anthropic. Remember what I just wrote about the wind being right? The time is now for you to be thinking about these things, as an #Entrepreneur and #SolutionSeeker. https://www.darioamodei.com/.../the-adolescence-of...
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