Perseverance: a fundamental tool for entrepreneurs

With the aim to show some business experiences to the students at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, the Incubadora de Empresas Tecnológicas 3IE from the Instituto Internacional para la Innovación Empresarial of this house of studies organized the "Emprendedores Exitosos" meeting, where three outstanding professionals explained some of the characteristics a young entrepreneur must have when conceiving a project.

Roberto Camhi, General Manager at Mapcity.com; Susana Docmac, Executive Director at Newtenberg and Max Celedón, Development Manager at PsychoWorld, agreed that one of the main characteristics somebody must have when it comes to tackling a project, be it business or not, is perseverance, a quality we all must have when we face a failure in our first tries.

Journalist Susana Docmac, Executive Director at Newtenberg, said "I do not see myself as being an entrepreneur or being successful..., but as someone who does a good job, and someone who likes things that work. However, we can surely speak about an entrepreneur when we think of all the times one has to knock on a door and bypass obstacles to make one's ideas come to life".

"Being an entrepreneur doesn't necessarily imply being independent. As an employee, you can also be an entrepreneur when you take on new projects and make them your own". However, no matter what the idea is, perseverance is key. You have to fight for your dreams. There are many times when people just do not understand your ideas, and then it's difficult to find sponsors.

"We have to bear in mind that failing is essential, so we ought to get famiiar with it and consider it as a close possibility. That way, one is prepared and it "doesn't hurt" so badly. You don't have to fear failure, though. You must respect it. Then you can face it. And the odds are not that low, if we consider that, on average, success is reached only after 3.2 attempts. In the last analysis, failing is part of learning".

Roberto Camhi added "I think absolute success does not exist. It has more to do with a feeling, a posture, a way of thinking, a way of acting, a way of being. It's a lifestyle which is reflected in a mental peace".

"Success is the outcome of sacrifice, and, in this frame, perseverance is fundamental. To me, tripping and falling in a project or after one attempt is no failure. On the contrary, it's a success, as I am able to learn how not to do things. So the risk factor is reduced by a little bit for the next time".

"A good idea is not necessarily an opportunity. It may become a product or a service that creates or adds value for the buyer. You ought to analyze its viability, size and competitive advantages when it is time to define your venture, by conceiving a vision, a strategy, a business plan and an action. But then, you also need to have what I call the 4 P's in a good entrepreneur: passion, perseverance (this cannot be missing) patience and prudence".

Max Celedón, Development Manager at PsychoWorld, stated that "sometimes what takes most of your time, and the hardest issues you encounter, is to find the correct approach for your business. In our case, my partner and I had a difficult time at the beginning, mainly because we started without capital and our experience in management was rather little".

"Thanks to the Incubadora de Empresas from the 3IE we were able to organize ourselves and to define ourselves much better. But all of this drive can only be valid when you have perseverance, resilience and a will to do things right."

"Today, we can proudly say we have inserted our products (games for cell phones) in many countries around the world. But we cannot stop there. As the world of technologies is constantly evolving, we have to catch up with the latest events, we must keep on doing non stop research on novel technologies and on the newest needs of people".