1
Governments take too long to get things done and there are far too many varied interests at stake. If you were starting a business today and needed a partner, you would never choose a large bureaucratic institution like the government.Naveen Jain
2
By understanding and harnessing the forces that drive human behavior, you can create a self-sustaining philanthropic effort that reaches millions of people. It begins with an entrepreneurial attitude: take an idea and execute on that idea. If it doesn't work, learn why and build on what you've learned.Naveen Jain
3
In the business world today, failure is apparently not an option. We need to change this attitude toward failure - and celebrate the idea that only by falling on our collective business faces do we learn enough to succeed down the road.Naveen Jain
4
'Being green' is commendable, but I hope that people don't take too much pride and self-adoration because they shut off the water when they brushed their teeth. The truth of the matter is, conservation alone will do little to save our planet.Naveen Jain
5
I may have managed to build a successful technology startup that had gone public by the time my three kids hit their 13th birthdays, but don't think that bought my wife and me any special respect from our teenagers.Naveen Jain
6
I came to the United States in the early '80s and was welcomed with open arms and given the opportunity to pursue my dreams. God has been very kind to us. My family and I are fortunate enough to be successful and we feel a tremendous responsibility and obligation to give back to our great country.Naveen Jain
7
Don't let expertise fool you into seeing false boundaries or underestimating those with wild dreams.Naveen Jain
8
Being a father has been, without a doubt, my greatest source of achievement, pride and inspiration. Fatherhood has taught me about unconditional love, reinforced the importance of giving back and taught me how to be a better person.Naveen Jain
9
Successful entrepreneurs find the balance between listening to their inner voice and staying persistent in driving for success - because sometimes success is waiting right across from the transitional bump that's disguised as failure.Naveen Jain
10
Sometimes we never see what failure is and often fail to recognize it.Naveen Jain
11
How important is failure - yes, failure - to the health of a thriving, innovative business? So important that Ratan Tata, chairman of India's largest corporation, gives an annual award to the employee who comes up with the best idea that failed.Naveen Jain
12
In my view, the first requirement for success for an entrepreneur is to dream big. The second aspect that prevents entrepreneurs from succeeding is fear of failure.Naveen Jain
13
When you experience a failure as a leader, don't hide it - talk about it. Your missed opportunity will encourage others to take risks.Naveen Jain
14
Call it the Tiger Mom effect: In the business world today, failure is apparently not an option.Naveen Jain
15
As a father, I believe that involving children in sports at a young age is generally, a wise proposition. I believe that healthy competition is... well... healthy; that sporting events foster a spirit of teamwork that far surpasses the events themselves; and that active participation keeps children moving and is good for their self-esteem.Naveen Jain
16
What separates sports from entrepreneurism, however, is that in business we constantly have to overcome undefined and unpredictable challenges. Athletes train for specific events and conditions, whereas entrepreneurs generally have little idea what they will encounter along the way.Naveen Jain
17
As a young boy growing up in rural India, most of what I knew of the world was what I could see around me. But each night, I would look at the Moon - it was impossibly far away, yet it held a special attraction because it allowed me to dream beyond my village and country, and think about the rest of the world and space.Naveen Jain
18
Open-source encyclopedias such as Wikipedia and search engines such as Google and Bing, which people can tap into anytime and anywhere via computers and smart phones, put a world of knowledge at our fingertips at a lower cost than ever before.Naveen Jain
19
My parents didn't believe in luck. They believed in hard work and in preparing me to take advantage of opportunity. Like many parents, they taught me to be generous but never to depend on the generosity of others.Naveen Jain
20
There is no longer a doubt that women are just as competent as men. Gender differences are guided by nurture, as society treats boys and girls differently from an early age.Naveen Jain
21
Humans have always used our intelligence and creativity to improve our existence. After all, we invented the wheel, discovered how to make fire, invented the printing press and found a vaccine for polio.Naveen Jain
22
Education should not be about building more schools and maintaining a system that dates back to the Industrial Revolution. We can achieve so much more, at unmatched scale with software and interactive learning.Naveen Jain
23
I understand human needs. I grew up where far too many people lived day to day without elemental needs like food and shelter.Naveen Jain
24
I think it's time we all agree that gender stereotypes are simply the confabulation of our own mind.Naveen Jain
25
Growing up in India, I knew all I needed to change the world was one good opportunity, and I prepared myself for it. When that opportunity came - in the form of the chance to earn an engineering degree - I was ready.Naveen Jain
26
The digital revolution has also meant a revolution in access to information. This puts more power and knowledge into the hands of nonexperts.Naveen Jain
27
Success doesn't necessarily come from breakthrough innovation but from flawless execution. A great strategy alone won't win a game or a battle the win comes from basic blocking and tackling.Naveen Jain
28
The real metric of success isn't the size of your bank account. It's the number of lives in whom you might be able to make a positive difference.Naveen Jain
29
Helping people boost themselves out of poverty is the best way to make a lasting positive difference in a person's life.Naveen Jain
30
Trust your gut instinct over spreadsheets. There are too many variables in the real world that you simply can't put into a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets spit out results from your inexact assumptions and give you a false sense of security. In most cases, your heart and gut are still your best guide.Naveen Jain
31
Technology itself is neither good nor bad. People are good or bad.Naveen Jain
32
We begin to change the world when we stimulate long-term prosperity using technology. There is not a problem that's large enough that innovation and entrepreneurship can't solve.Naveen Jain
33
You know you've reached true success the day you become truly humble. That's the day you stop needing to prove to the world - and yourself - that you've accomplished something meaningful.Naveen Jain
34
The goal must be to expand ourselves beyond one field of focus and use our improved access to information to solve the very real and extreme economic, environmental, and resource challenges we face as an interconnected, global society.Naveen Jain