Let’s take a sober look at business success. How much of it comes down to
luck, and how much is the fruit of hard work and distinct talent? The question is
easily misunderstood. Of course, little is achieved without talent, and nothing is
achieved without hard work. Unfortunately, neither skills nor toil and trouble are
the key criteria for success. They are necessary – but not sufficient. How do we
know this? There is a very simple test: when a person is successful for a long
time – more than that, when they enjoy more success in the long run compared to
less qualified people – then and only then is talent the essential element. This is
not the case with company founders; otherwise, the majority of successful
entrepreneurs would, after the first achievement, continue to found and grow
second, third and fourth start-ups.