I had a recent conversation with a friend briefly regarding the meaning of the word ’success’. There are plenty of definitions, and there are plenty of other people writing their opinions on the topic. I’m not going to lecture about anything- merely give my opinion on a few aspects of success and my perceptions on how to achieve it.

It should be obvious that success is entirely based upon the person evaluating any given situation. I might see success as simply being happy (which, I in fact do!) where others feel — for reasons of upbringing, social standing, … whatever — it may depend on more quantifiable entities. Money is obviously the likely “number one” candidate here, though I’m sure there are countless other equally silly notions of success. Granted, I hold no disdain for those who chase their dreams of become a millionaire; in fact, quite the opposite. I applaud those who are motivated and confident enough to make strides down that path. However, I must make a distinction between those who chase the dream because of the chase itself (and their love of the work that drives them), and those who chase the dream only because fame/fortune is their end-all perceived happiness. These are two very, very different types of people and - in my personal opinion - the latter of which will never become “successful” in any form of its definition.

I pride myself in my ability to remain happy and content with myself and my life regardless of the situation I’m in at the time. Though I can definitively attribute a large part of this to the relatively bump-free life I’ve had, I also know that I’ve dealt with a good handful of rather unwelcome situations with nothing but a smile and a good attitude. Applying this same notion to everything in my life from business to personal to academic, I think it’s helped me feel completely successful with everything I’ve done.

This article was partially prompted by my brief ’success’ conversation. However, it was also half inspired by an article I just read regarding the ‘Billionaire Boys Club’ and the rules that accompany membership. I don’t know what this club is or who started it, but I know it’s got entry rules. Some of them struck me as good, sound business (or even “lifelong”) advice, where others struck me as rather ridiculous. So, I’m going to briefly give my opinions on these rules that dictate who can and cannot become a member of this club. These rules were grabbed from John Ballantine’s blog.

Rule One- You must have atleast one business venture Well, this isn’t really based on any sort of value, experience, or advice - just a rule guiding membership, so I won’t knock it.

Rule Two- You must know who Warren Buffett, Jack Welsh, Richard Branson, Charlie Munger, the google guys, and any other billionaire legends and swear by their mantle I disagree with this as much as anyone could disagree with something. And I give this food for thought as my reasoning: How many of the massively monetarily (or otherwise) successful people likely based their vision on someone else’s work? Did they because successful because they though, “I want to become successful. How have other people done this?” … or, from my observances, much more likely, simply been driven to do what they love and because they love it, they were the best. Two 100% opposite approaches to business.

Rule Three- You must have charisma and know how to sell yourself. You need to know how to make people like you or hate you. Yeah, I can agree with this. Being charismatic is probably the most important trait anyone can have; relationships (any kind-friendship, business, etc.) are what make people truly happy, and having charisma is the easiest way to establish these relationships.

Rule Four- Never take no for an answer. Yes and no. From a business perspective, I can see how this may be a desirable attribute (to a certain extent), yet it also conveys a particular air of superiority and perhaps even snobbishness; one who can’t take no for an answer also can’t realize the err in their ways before the mistake is made. One who can’t take no for an answer is never wrong until they’ve convinced themselves, which is often times far too late.

Rule Five- Know when to quit. Duh.

Rule Six- Never stop learning. I agree completely. (though the following comment, “School is worthless in itself except for networking purposes” I disagree with completely)

Rule Seven- Don’t waste time with losers, they only bring you down. Yes, but watch your definition of loser. If it encompasses your friends, or is built upon one of the silly forms of the “success” definition (money, etc.) then you might as well buy yourself an “I’m a Jackass” sign now.

Rule Eight- Develope a sense of style. Meh. Be presentable. Overly stylish people give off a certain vibe of vanity. Whether or not this is a bad thing is up to you, but I personally like people who care more about who they are than what they look like.

Rule Nine- Understand the rules of power No idea what this even means.

Rule Eleven-Develope Confidence Absolutely.

Rule Twelve- Find a solid business partner. Find a solid business team, and make sure nobody’s in it for themselves. Interdependence is a pretty huge make-or-break factor in teams.

Rule Thirteen- You need to have a billion dollars worth of venture capitilists funds that you can access if you need it. Total BS. In this day and age, you get the right group of creative people together and the money issues can work themselves out. Be driven to do what you love, not to get paid to do it.

Rule Fourteen- Have a network worth over a couple billion dollars Again, total bull. If you’re basing the value the people you know on how much money they’re worth, you’ve got a lot more to worry about than your businesses. Consider a psychiatrist.

That’s all folks. I’m sick of typing. Have a great evening.

-Tyson