You don't need that much money. Just enough to pay the rent, utilities and food.
My plan I created for myself post-uni when I was in 3rd year uni was to not get a job. Live very simply. Save my money.
The more money I saved, the bigger my runway to fail. And then work my hardest to build a company.
Bury the ego.
I was born into a poor family, and I never had any luxuries. So I trained myself from an early age not to care about what other people have or be affected by that.
You don't need all of life's little luxuries. If you live cheaply, you'll have the time, headspace and energy to create your dream company.
When viewed in that context, none of life's luxuries can hold a candle to being able to do the work you love.
Whatever anyone does, whatever anyone says, is aligned with how they see the world.
And so decisions people make are always perfect for them in the sense that all their education, learning, experiences and insights into the world lead them to that decision.
So when dealing with other people, it's important to understand that whatever they are doing makes perfect sense with how they see the world.
So start by understanding what's there for them, and deal with that.
There are no mistakes. Everything is perfect.
"Follow your passions."
"Dream bigger."
"Focus."
"You can get there with hard work."
"Do what you love because then you'll never have to work a day in your life."
etc.
etc.
Everyone dolls out the same advice, because it's true.
The difference between someone who lives their dreams, and someone who doesn't, is that the former actually lives their lives uncompromisingly by those principles.
Want to do something but you don't feel like it?
Want to start a company but you feel the first step is too high and too hard? Want to get fit but you feel too unmotivated to exercise? What to start your plans now but you feel like you can't because you feel too busy?
Well, the best way to feel like doing something, the best way to get motivated by starting a company, the best way to get motivated about getting fit and the best way to feel like you're going in the right direction, is to make the first move.
You'll feel motivated by your company when it starts achieving results. You'll feel motivated about your body when you see the outcomes of your exercising. You'll feel motivated, if you just take the action. Just take the first step, and try it.
Woody Allen once said that "eighty percent of success is showing up."
To me, that means, you go to the meeting about the project. You're there anyway. May as well participate. There's another way in which you can help out and use your skills. Ok, well then, you're there, may as well show up for that as well. And so the cycle continues.
Show up -> you're there anyway, may as well pitch in. You're pitching in, may as well do it well -> Show up...
Forbes named me a world's top 50 woman in tech & 30 Under 30. I founded Robogals and Aipoly and was Young Australian of the Year 2012. Currently working on robotics company Aubot. I'm the youngest Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and I give speeches around the world.
I tweet @maritacheng and I'm on Facebook.
The NBN Stempreneur Initiative is a virtual learning program for kids in eight regional schools. It shows young people the breadth of opportunities...
From January - May this year, I worked on the first prototype of the production model of my telepresence robot, Teleroo.Teleroo was launched onstage at the...
Playing with robots in the office with Kyle van Dordrecht. We timed ourselves putting a robotics kit together... then we modified the kit.
SBS came and filmed a short segment at the 2Mar Robotics office for their SBS Small Business Secrets program. It aired on 23 October. Watch the...
The world is so noisy! Every day there's the breaking news through your multiple most trusted news sources; there's the buzz of your twitter and...
"Good Weekend" magazine (included every Saturday in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers) was interested in what I was up to, so they...
I went to Orlando and gave three speeches in 4 days! I spoke to Baxter Healthcare virtually about failure - my failures, failing fast, failing...
Just taking one action a day, moves your project forward. Keep living your life. Keep going to work. Keep studying. Keep seeing your friends. Keep...
If you're over your university studies. If you're not looking forward to taking a week out of your life and attending a conference. If you don't...
When I was growing up, my mum earned about $20,000 a year to support herself, my brother and I. By living very frugally and only spending money on...