Kevin O'Leary's Top 3 Tips For Becoming An Entrepreneur

As the key figure of the hit show Shark Tank and a powerful tech investor, Kevin O'Leary has a track record that has made him an expert on entrepreneurship. Part of this has meant the billionaire spends a portion of his time engaged in public speaking endeavors, where he lends his advice and shares his secret to earning $1 million fast. Such was the case during the tech mogul's 2024 visit to the University of North Dakota, where he spoke on the key to becoming a successful entrepreneur. During this trip, O'Leary, who is a vocal hockey fan, had the opportunity to drop the puck at a match between the North Dakota Battle Hawks and the University of Denver Pioneers. But his message to students was, by far, his most influential contribution. 

During an hour-and-a-half-long meeting with students of the Nistler College of Business and Public Administration, O'Leary laid out his three core values regarding starting a business. He may not always be on point — after all, there was that one tech company Shark Tank passed on that went on to become an Amazon success story. That said, O'Leary's advice to young entrepreneurs, which emphasized three main points, rings true. First, he suggested that, given the modern landscape, one must stick to what is objectively important by separating the signal from the noise. He also encouraged the students never to pursue entrepreneurship out of greed and to leverage the power of social media.

Kevin O'Leary made his fortune by keeping up with the times, from leveraging cable television to selling his company at the opportune moment. This mindset was evident in his speech to the students at the University of North Dakota, the majority of which was streamed live on YouTube. In his talk, he highlighted the role of data centers in North Dakota's growth, demonstrating his first point about separating the signal from the noise — the university's leaders recognized the importance of data (signal) in everything else going on in the larger AI landscape (the noise). This ability to detect true value is part of what helps entrepreneurs avoid mistakes like investing in one of the 11 absolute worst businesses to start given the modern economic trends and landscape. 

O'Leary also discussed the importance of personal qualities like passion and the boldness to even get going: "The biggest decision of an entrepreneurship is to take the first step. Nobody does it; most people convince themselves it's not the right time." Moreover, the tech mogul explained that the business that's right for you as an entrepreneur is the one you're passionate about, as he believes the money will follow and not the other way around (per UND Today). The final point O'Leary made in his speech was that entrepreneurs must understand the modern social media landscape and its effect on personal and business branding. "If you can't harness social media, you will fail," O'Leary warned.