10 Quotes for Startups from Jeremy Gutsche, Founder of Trendhunter.com.

Jeremy Gutsche is the founder and CEO of Trendhunter.com—the world’s most popular “cool” hunting website. His startup helps people identify coming trends so they can capitalize on them with new products and services. And it is immensely popular, with well over two billion page views since its launch. Each month, members of the site read and explore another sixty million pages.

Mr. Gutsche hasn’t always been a trend hunter. Before becoming an entrepreneur, he was a management consultant and a director for Capital One, running an innovation team and experimenting with new products.

Gutsche has been called one of the most sought after keynote speakers on the planet. He’s also the author of two books, Better and Faster (which the quotes below are taken from), and Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change. Check out some of the things he’s written and said that will inspire other startup owners:

“To counter complacency, you must exhibit insatiability.”

“No matter what business you’re in, to thrive you must fight the presumption that you know your customer. Also you must push yourself to challenge ‘certainties’.”

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose. And it’s an unreliable guide to the future.”

“Intentionally destroying your business model, products, and services can feel uncomfortable and even painful, but destruction enables unrestricted creativity while providing flexibility and depth.”

“Past success creates barriers that both you and your customers must overcome. To innovate, you need to break free from past success.”

“You need to go where the opportunity will be next, not where it is.”

“If you want people to love what you stand for, you need to create products that are irresistible to a specific group.”

“You don’t need to find a big idea; you can find a little idea that can be made big. Think of something fractional, smaller, simpler, or more focused—all with underlying growth potential.”

“To find a remarkable new idea, you need a fresh way of thinking.”

“Be curious.
Be willing to destroy.
Be insatiable.”

—Jeremy Gutsche, Author and Founder of TrendHunter