There seems to be a high demand for Thomas Edison quotes right now. But…why is that?
Edison was one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the history of America. His inventions are still used to this day.
That’s kind of a big thing because he died almost a century ago.
Don’t believe me? Let’s think a little about it:
Do you have tattoos? Edison invented the tattoo pen.
Do you watch movies? The movie industry was invented by him.
If you break your leg (hopefully you don’t. It’s awful) and you go to the doctor, you can get an X-ray because of Edison. He invented that too.(1)
Also, he created the sound recording machine and the electric power generator. So … the guy was like a 20th century Elon Musk.
Obviously, he has a couple of inspirational quotes that entrepreneurs use as their core principles.
If you’re here to find out which quotes by Thomas Edison are the most popular in regards to business, then you’re in the right place!
In this article, we will go over his most influential quotes ever. Stay tuned!
Thomas Edison Quotes: Who was Thomas Edison?
Thomas Edison was an American entrepreneur and inventor of multiple devices that are still used to this day. His business endeavors helped humanity develop for the past century.
Today, we will take a look at some of his most influential quotes of all time. We hand picked these quotes based on their relatability to business.
Entrepreneurship is amazing. And growing businesses is not easy.(2)
Sometimes, we need a bit of motivation and inspiration to help us move forward. And Edison can surely deliver it.
Let’s jump straight into it.
1. There is no substitute for hard work.
Outsourcing has become SO popular nowadays. Everybody wants to start a business so that they can live “the 4 hour work week“.(3)
Most beginner entrepreneurs underestimate the amount of work that is needed in order to grow a successful business.
News flash: it’s hard. And you can’t outsource the hard work you need to put in the beginning. Why? Because you can’t afford it.
Put in the work in your business, and your business will reward you.
2. To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
If you think about it, this is kinda true. I vividly remember when we were kids and didn’t have money for a ball, we would put a pile of papers together with duct tape and use that as a ball.
When looking back, I get nostalgic. But the imagination of a child is truly magical.(4)
The problem is that we have a hard time maintaining that imagination when we grow up. If you are able to do that, nobody can stop you becoming successful.
3. There’s a way to do it better – find it.
All of us are guilty for settling with mediocre work. You know the saying “if it works, don’t fix it”.
That is actually not such a good advice. We should always try to improve our work.
Again, if you put in 100%, you will get out 100%. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts in business.(5)
4. To have a great idea, have a lot of them.
OK. You probably know that ideas are not worth much.
A couple of days ago I took a taxi home after going out with my friends, and the taxi driver told me that one of his high school friends has a successful business exporting wine to other countries.
He described his friend as “lucky”. He was “lucky” because of his “idea”. But we know that his friend worked his ass off to make this thing work.
Of course that from the outside it seems easy. But it’s not.(6)
Also, not every good idea can be transformed in a business. You need to have A LOT of good ideas and execute them, so eventually you hit a home run.
5. I have not failed. I’ve just found 10.000 ways that won’t work.
This is one of my favorite quotes. Not only by Thomas Edison, but in general. Most people fail in business because they give up to soon.
It’s so easy to get discouraged when you don’t make money straight away. It takes real determination to wake up in the morning and continue to hustle even when you don’t see results.
You just can’t beat the person who always gets up. Be that person, no matter how long it takes. Time passes anyway, regardless of what you do with it.(7)
6. What you are will show in what you do.
You can’t become a millionaire if you don’t already feel and act like one. The proof is in the pudding.
More than half of lottery winners become broke again. Why is that? It’s because in their mind, they are still poor. So, they transform their reality based on how they think.
If you are a hard working person who respects his business or job, people will notice. Do you remember the last time you went to a restaurant and you noticed how good the service was?
That waiter was doing his job really good. It’s because he takes things seriously and he doesn’t just do the minimum amount of work in order to get paid (like 90% of people do).
Also, he was not trying to be overly nice so you give him a hefty tip. He was just good. And you noticed it and you gave him a tip anyway.(8)
You probably came back to that restaurant also. Apply this mindset into your own business and people will notice.
If you take things seriously and provide value to your audience, there is no way in hell you don’t eventually become successful.
Final Thoughts
Thomas Edison was truly inspirational. As one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the history of the United States, he surely has some good quotes.
It’s up to you to take action and apply his principles. His winner mindset took him straight in the history books and we will remember him for a long time.
I suggest you take the OFA challenge, as it’s truly valuable. It really changed the way I view and treat my business.
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Andrew is an entrepreneur and has been in the business game for a couple of years. Read more