Episode: #52 David Kelly
Who: Today's guest is David Kelly, who is currently the general manager for the vastly successful King Sumo and has worked with some of the business industries greats. In this conversation, we outline why he has been so successful, entrepreneurship and provide business hacks to help your business grow and develop as a person at the same time. David has gone from building things out of lego to being able to say that "43+ million people have played with the products and ideas I've created." In this chat, we find out how you can do that too. David may not be as well known initially as some of the other people I have interviewed but he is going places, he is a very warm, friendly guy, who is very analytical, driven and is really shaking things up. Listen to his journey and find out those things that will help you become more like him.
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Listen here
What we cover
- Who he is
- How did his upbringing help shape his love of entrepreneurship
- The importance of a father figure in the evolution of a man
- What sort of ideas work for a new business
- Is education important to a new entrepreneur - do you need the training to become a business mogul?
- What are the benefits of a structured education?
- The key skills that today's young people should be looking to become skilled in to get ahead of the pack
- What similarities he has noticed in the amazing people he has worked with over the years
- When is the point to move on, to develop or evolve a current product or move to another platform/method?
- What made him the appealing employee for some truly great entrepreneurs? What characteristics of him help him win such great positions?
- When is the right time to leave a position and move onto another venture?
- What the most successful people trust most
- Best strategies to utilise when you are trying to network and build connections.
- His interest in self-experimentation and how it has shaped his outlook on life.
- What are his typical daily routines and does he ever have a 'typical day' like someone else who works a '9-5' jobs?
- Meditation - is it worth it? In a world run by technology, how does shutting down and powering off your mind like a computer help?
- The importance of the work/life balance and how hobbies can shape you as a person and as an entrepreneur.
- If he had his time again, would he change anything?
- How does he deal with the fast break questions?
- What does he want the listener to take away from this interview
- An unusual fact about himself that few others know.
- How can you keep in touch with David and follow his adventures and upcoming projects?
- And so much more
Some things to reflect on
- Sometimes it is best to become a manager in a start-up before trying your own start-up, you learn the basics and the key skills that you will need to make your version a success
- There are so many paths to entrepreneurship - you don't need to do the 'modern' or 'typical' route that you hear big-name founders following. Not everyone can or should be another Facebook but there is a potential audience open to everyone no matter the type of idea.
- We always have an opportunity, no matter your starting point, you choose how you react, how you take. Don't let the man in the mirror talk you out of trying, you have no idea where you might go.
- Creativity in games, sports etc can make you more creative across the board.
- Education can be important but the experience is vital. To be a good founder, you need to be experienced in every aspect or find someone else who can be. Everyone has a uniques path and skill set that can be utilised to make a fantastic team.
- You need to really believe in what you are doing to succeed, you need to believe in your mission. However, it is probably a bad approach to try and do it all on your own. You need a strong support team and network to do this, rather than being on your own. You need to support each other as you will fail but a strong support team will help you get back on track and help you out of the problems and out of the development plateaus.
- Working on your business is important ... but you need to step away from it at times, to relax and recover and build a strong work/life balance. Too much time spent will end up exhausting you and that causes burnout and most will struggle and fail. You need to work but play too. You need to plan breaks and work smart not hard.
- Everyone is trying to figure this journey and business journey out. No one has it down perfect.
The links you will need to connect with the Guest
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