Tony Robbins Logo
  • AboutCarat
  • ProgramsCarat
  • EventsCarat
  • CoachingCarat
  • ExploreCarat
  • ShopCarat
  • The Story
  • The System
  • The Science
  • All Programs
  • Tony Robbins AI
  • Inner Circle
  • Business Accelerator
  • Platinum Partnership
  • Events Calendar
  • Unleash the Power WithinCarat
    • Germany September 2026
    • Miami November 2026
  • Rapid Planning Method
  • Business Mastery
  • Advanced Business Mastery
  • Date With Destiny
  • Leadership Academy
  • Life Mastery
  • Wealth Mastery
  • Life & Wealth Mastery Fiji
  • Results Coaching
  • Business Coaching
  • Business Results Training
    • Mindset
    • Wealth
    • Health
    • Relationships
    • Business
    • Leadership
    • Happiness
    • Network
    • Newsletter
    • Blog
    • Quizzes
    • Podcast
    • Documentary
    • Shop All
    • Mindset
    • Wealth
    • Health
    • Relationships
    • Leadership
    • Books
    • Digital
    • Free Resources
Log in
Start now
  • AboutChevron
    • The Story
    • The System
    • The Science
  • ProgramsChevron
    • All Programs
    • Tony Robbins AI
    • Inner Circle
    • Business Accelerator
    • Platinum Partnership
  • EventsChevron
    • Events Calendar
    • Unleash the Power WithinChevron
      • Germany September 2026
      • Miami November 2026
    • Rapid Planning Method
    • Business Mastery
    • Advanced Business Mastery
    • Date With Destiny
    • Leadership Academy
    • Life Mastery
    • Wealth Mastery
    • Life & Wealth Mastery Fiji
  • CoachingChevron
    • Results Coaching
    • Business Coaching
    • Business Results Training
  • ExploreChevron
    • Mindset
    • Wealth
    • Health
    • Relationships
    • Business
    • Leadership
    • Happiness
    • Network
    • Newsletter
    • Blog
    • Quizzes
    • Podcast
    • Documentary
  • ShopChevron
    • Shop All
    • Mindset
    • Wealth
    • Health
    • Relationships
    • Leadership
    • Books
    • Digital
    • Free Resources
Start nowLog in

Kick your mindset into high gear

View Events
  • About
  • Events
  • Programs
  • Coaching
  • Start now
  • Documentary
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Free resources
  • Shop all
  • Community
  • Assessments
  • Careers
  • Giving

Customer SupportChevron

Contact Customer Support for questions on your products, coaching, or events.

Media InquiriesChevron

Robbins Research International, Inc. has a dedicated media department. Members of the press are welcome to contact us.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • © 2026. All rights reserved.
9051 Mira Mesa Blvd P.O. Box 261229, San Diego, CA 92126
  • InstagramInstagram
  • FacebookFacebook
  • XX
  • TikTokTikTok
  • YouTubeYouTube
  • SpotifySpotify
  • LinkedInLinkedIn
Noah Kagan speaks about how to be a successful entrepeneur | Tony Robbins
Stop being a wantrepreneur image of business people with sun in background
Business, Leadership
May 20, 2016

Stop being a wantrepreneur

Noah Kagan on becoming a successful entrepreneur
SpotifyApple Podcasts

There is a big difference between having an idea and executing an idea. Having the next million-dollar idea is not enough to make you an entrepreneur. You have to act on it.

For so many aspiring entrepreneurs, the road stops at an idea. Sure, they may build a website, design a logo, maybe even create a comprehensive business plan. But they never make a sale. They never grow their business beyond a pretty website or a fancy logo. Until that happens, they’re still just a wantrepreneur.

What type of business owner are you?

Take quiz now
Wantrepreneur vs. entrepreneur

A wantrepreneur is someone who spends their time and money on everything else except creating a real business. They get distracted by all of the shiny objects around them and they never turn their idea into a successful and sustainable business.

On the other hand, real entrepreneurs care about one thing: building a product or service that people want and making that sale. They put in the work to see their idea come to life. Sure they spend time creating a website, designing a logo and coming up with a business plan. But they also dig in deep to explore their market, study their customers and put a plan into action to turn their dream into reality. They change their psychology to become unstoppable.

Noah Kagan

In this episode of the Tony Robbins Podcast, AppSumo CEO and serial entrepreneur Noah Kagan shares his personal tips for building a business and what it really takes to be a successful entrepreneur. The road to startup success is anything but clear, leaving plenty of room for creative ingenuity. If you don’t have the right tools and mindset, then the only guarantee you have is that your road will stop short.

Noah’s backstory

If there’s anyone who knows what it takes to get an idea off the ground, it’s Noah Kagan. While still in college, he started the website and online newsletter, OkDork, in 2001; it’s still going today. He has worked at digital giants Intel Corporation, CommunityNext.com, Facebook and Mint Software, Inc.

After being the 30th employee at Facebook and the fourth at Mint, he took what he had learned about startup culture and helped to found Gambit, a virtual gaming payment processor. In 2010, he left Gambit to create AppSumo, an entrepreneurial tool that helps connect entrepreneurs with new apps, courses and tools at over 90% off of the retail price.

Related Podcasts

  • A blonde woman and Tony Robbins with the text "BANKRUPT TO $3 BILLION" between them on a purple background.
    Business
    March 5, 2026

    Meet The Woman Who Built A $3B Beauty Brand from $0 | Anastasia Soare

  • Tony Robbins and a bearded man with a Pathwater bottle, overlaid with text "SIMPLE IDEA HUGE BRAND".
    Business
    January 8, 2026

    The Sustainable Water Brand Taking Over Stadiums, Airports & 7-Elevens

  • Four men in suits beneath the title "MONEY IN FOOD."
    Business
    December 3, 2025

    He Sold to Amazon for $500M and Walmart for $3B, Now They're Tackling Food

  • Tony Robbins, Robert Herjavec, and a third man smiling below the title "MONEY IN ENERGY".
    Business
    November 5, 2025

    The AI Race: Why the Future of Power Is at Stake with U.S. Energy Secretary, Chris Wright

  • Tony Robbins and another man under the text "OVERCOME ANYTHING."
    Leadership
    July 25, 2025

    This Helped Him Rebuild His Life After Losing Everything...

  • Tony Robbins Exclusive: Holy Grail of Investing image of Tony holding book
    Business, Wealth
    February 6, 2024

    Tony Robbins Exclusive: Holy Grail of Investing – Chapter 1

  • Noah on what it takes to be an entrepreneur

    Noah is no stranger to testing out new ideas – and failing. But what he doesn’t do, is sit in his defeat. Instead, he turns it into a lesson. He knows that failure is part of the process of moving from being a wantrepreneur to an entrepreneur. If you want to improve your business, you have to put the work in. Noah’s ideas aren’t just lofty future goals. He takes massive actions to turn them into successful business ventures.

    In this podcast, Noah and Tony discuss how true entrepreneurs know that work-life balance is a myth and how we need to strive for work-life integration instead. They also discuss smart ways that they have scaled their businesses, found and hired high-quality employees and handled the mental and emotional game that comes with being an entrepreneur. Whether you want to run a small mom-and-pop shop or build a $10 million business, moving from a wantrepreneur to an entrepreneur is not easy but, if you put the work in, it’s worth it.

    What type of business owner are you?

    Take quiz now
    SHOW NOTES

    [0:01] Episode introduction
    [02:10] The failure to execute
    [03:00] Three stages of mastery
    [06:50] The best entrepreneurs are the best leaders
    [10:33] What is a wantrepreneur
    [12:00] The importance of validating your business
    [15:00] Setting price points
    [18:30] Identifying your customer
    [22:45] Noah’s coffee challenge
    [26:00] Taking real action today
    [28:00] Scaling your business
    [31:00] Hiring strategies
    [33:00] Finding high-quality employees
    [38:00] Pursuing your business full-time
    [43:30] Your relationship and your business
    [45:00] The mental and emotional game
    [47:00] Setting immediate, short-term goals
    [48:00] Persevering through down cycles
    [49:28] The rule of one
    [49:50] Surrounding yourself with people who make you better
    [51:30] Next on the horizon for Noah
    [52:45] Fine-tuning your primary tools
    [56:20] Driving more traffic to your site