The San Francisco based internet software guru, Kreig Kent recently launched Gritty Founder, a daily podcast series where business founders share their stories of grit, determination, and success. The podcast celebrates the heroes who build the companies of their dreams and never quit along the way.
Kreig Kent is a prolific entrepreneur who is known for his unique perspective and talented approach to building world-class internet software. Below is an excerpt from an interview at his residence in San Francisco, California. The young entrepreneur and multi-millionaire was asked what some of the unique traits are that he has seen in the most successful founders over the years. His response is below.
"I believe that the most important trait for an entrepreneur is grit. If I could give you two, I’d say grit and focus, but since you asked me for just one trait, I’ll say it has to be grit because with grit comes focus. Focus is a very gritty thing. You have to say no to a million things that can distract you from the one thing that you need to focus on, so focus requires you to have grit. It means you keep getting up no matter what and you don’t quit. You focus on a singular goal, and you develop a unique ability to see things to fruition. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you need to let that sink in."
The internet entrepreneur described how the world has changed more in the past 10 years than it did in the past 10 decades. He also said that technology is moving at a very fast pace and it is important for people to focus on educating themselves on things like artificial intelligence and understanding how computers work. He mentioned how he thinks that every child in school should be given a chance to learn computer science and how the internet is still in the early stages.
Kreig is known for his role as an advisor to several San Francisco based companies, and he is the person that founders call when they’re struggling with tough decisions. He said, "I tell founders to call me even if it’s 2:00 am because I know first hand how hard it is to build startups and I want them to know that I’m there for them. Sometimes, a founder cannot talk to a significant other, friends, family, or even their investors. If I’m an investor in the company, they know they can call me anytime. Even if I’m not an investor and happen to know the founder, I make it clear that they can reach out anytime. I love entrepreneurs, and I know how much risk they take and how much courage they have. I want them to know that I respect them for that and want to help them out in any way I can. That’s why I give them my number and tell them to call if they need to talk."
Gritty Founder features some of the top founders in Silicon Valley and has been in the making for a long time. The vision for the podcast is to gradually move towards featuring founders who are outside of the Bay Area bubble and go beyond internet technology. Kreig Kent said "I want to feature small business owners on the show. I want the world to hear stories from American small business founders because they are the real heroes who build companies with personal loans and credit card debt. If you can build a business that does not take any initial investor capital and you can make that a success, then you have my attention. I applaud you for having that level of passion, determination and being able to execute on your vision."
Gritty Founder is the first daily podcast in the business category that is currently live. It is meant to encourage founders and provide a daily dose of entrepreneurial wisdom and strategic advice for founders all over the world. You can learn more at https://grittyfounder.com. The podcast is also available on iTunes and recently was featured in the new and noteworthy section.