“I think an entrepreneur is somebody who sees something they want to exist, and, whether they know how or not, sets forth in a naive but confident way to bring it into being.”
Mark S. McNally, Founder and Chief Nobody at Nobody Studios was interviewed by Jed Morley, VIP Author at ValiantCEO. Here’s a snippet:
Many readers may wonder how to become an entrepreneur but what is an entrepreneur? How would you define it?
Mark McNally: I think an entrepreneur is somebody who sees something they want to exist, and, whether they know how or not, sets forth in a naive but confident way to bring it into being. They have a deep faith that they’re supposed to play a role in making something happen that others can’t see.
And it doesn’t always have to be Elon Musk and electric vehicles. Somebody who says, “That’s a corner that needs a really special coffee shop,” can be a true entrepreneur if they see something that isn’t yet, find the resources, attract believers, and pull it together. You really have to be an evangelist, making people see something that doesn’t exist yet and have them work with you, support you, or invest in some way.
A lot of people build companies for the wrong reasons, mostly to make money. I don’t define them as entrepreneurs. I really believe that, aside from a few lucky ones, most of those folks will fail. An entrepreneur has to be motivated by something deeper, a “why” that helps them get through all the obstacles that show up on the path to fulfilling the vision.
It’s not for the faint of heart. Many entrepreneurs put too much on their plates, and it becomes a stressful career. I certainly have taken the weight of the world on my shoulders throughout my career. I feel it with the current venture too, but I believe there’s a different way. If you believe in what you’re doing, speak openly and honestly about it, don’t take no for an answer, and have faith, then the right people and support will come your way at the right time. With that, I believe most entrepreneurs can be successful.
What is the importance of having a supportive and inclusive culture?
Mark McNally: First, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion is just the right thing to do—we fully believe in and are 100% committed to providing opportunity for everyone, period. There’s also a strong and well-researched business case for DE&I. Our Chief Culture Officer Sejal Thakkar, who is a passionate advocate for inclusion and civility in the workplace, talks about five key benefits.
- Variety of viewpoints increases adaptability
- Better customer service, leading to better customer loyalty
- Reduced legal expenses
- Better employee retention
- More effective execution
For Nobody Studios, as a globally distributed company, we have all kinds of cultural differences among our teams, and our goal is to ensure that anyone that comes into our world feels welcome, included, respected, and able to pursue their greatest passions. When people ask me how I define success, I tell them: the day some person in some country I’ve never been to sees a problem and launches a company using the vehicle that is Nobody Studios, and solves that problem—that’s when we’ll have succeeded.
Click here for the complete interview featured at ValiantCEO
