Paul DeLuca is the Founder & CEO of Meritus Capital, host of The Growth Game Podcast, and expert in staffing entrepreneurship.
The entrepreneurial success story is all over our feeds. With the rise of digital, we have more tools than ever to jump-start a venture at record speed.
I see this accessibility as a leg-up for the next generation of business leaders. It’s an advantage for entrepreneurs looking to break into the market quicker than a new app attracts its first copycat.
But that’s a key consideration here: speed. Let’s consider the other side of the coin.
Just as quickly as you can launch a business, you can lose control of it. Trust me, I’ve “failed forward” many times. Sometimes those failures are out of your hands. Supply chains collapse, funding dries up, and entire industries shift overnight. Lately, one of the most interesting debates I’ve seen is the ongoing cycle of whether businesses should niche down or go all in on hyper-generalism.
How do we deal with it all?
The answer lies in the principles that never change. While trends, technologies and markets evolve fast, the core principles of entrepreneurship are timeless.
Here are four that have never failed me and a few leaders who wear them well.
1. Resilience
Barbara Corcoran didn’t sulk when she was turned down for Shark Tank—she wrote one of the boldest comeback letters I’ve ever read. She didn’t beg for a second chance. She proved why she deserved one. That’s resilience.
In a world where industries shift overnight and markets are unpredictable, the ability to push forward is what separates lasting leaders from fading ones. Read this letter whenever you doubt yourself, face rejection or need a reminder that persistence beats luck every time.
2. People-Centricity
Some lead with client-centricity. But if you’re not considering your team first, you’re building on shaky ground. A business doesn’t grow on great ideas alone—it grows on the people who bring those ideas to life. A motivated, engaged team delivers better service, makes smarter decisions and ultimately drives long-term success.
When you’re in those critical early stages, trying to build (and retain) your team, Steven Bartlett offers a simple but powerful framework: Think of a person you work with. If everyone on your team embodied the culture and values as they do, would the average of your team be raised or lowered? If the answer is “lowered,” it may be time to rethink the fit. But if the answer is “raised,” those are the individuals who will help elevate the entire team. Invest in those people.
Culture starts at the top and trickles down. Those who embody the right values will shape the team, raising the bar for everyone.
3. Leadership And Vision
Every entrepreneur starts with a vision, but vision without leadership is just an idea.
I’ve been deeply involved in the staffing space for years. With constant changes in workforce demands, evolving technologies and economic shifts, the industry has never been static. And I’ve seen how leadership can make a vision a reality, even in these circumstances.
Take Richard Wahlquist, CEO of the American Staffing Association (ASA). His leadership has shaped the legal and economic environment for staffing firms, ensuring job creation and industry growth. Despite external factors, he’s remained steadfast in his vision to connect talent with meaningful opportunity.
Leadership isn’t about adopting every new tool. It’s about knowing when to experiment and ensuring that innovation aligns with your long-term goals (more on that in Principle 4).
4. Continuous Learning
Even after decades in business, I still make time to educate myself. Audible is my go-to. Half the time it’s fiction to unwind, but for the other half, I focus on business books that challenge me.
My latest obsession is the OKR (objectives and key results) framework from John Doerr’s Measure What Matters. I know what you’re thinking—another CEO who’s found the next “game-changing” book. However, Doerr distills goal-setting into a simple, measurable system that ties actions to outcomes, and it’s worth replicating.
The right entrepreneurial toolkit is invaluable, but remember: There’s a lot of noise out there. Too much information can be just as harmful as too little. Every so often, it’s worth doing a digital cleanse. Mute the distractions, ditch what’s not serving you and double down on what works. Then set some OKRs.
The future of entrepreneurship will always be in flux.
Markets will shift, industries will evolve and the way we do business will keep changing. But I believe these four principles—resilience, people-centricity, leadership and continuous learning—will always matter. While the world moves fast and you move faster, don’t get (too) caught up in chasing trends. Build on what lasts.
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