Invent, Reinvent, Thrive: The Keys to Success for Any Start-Up, Entrepreneur, or Family Business

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Ignoring the Noise of Dissent

I NEVER THOUGHT I’D LIVE TO QUOTE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT Spiro Agnew, who before his disgrace and resignation referred to media critics as “nattering nabobs of negativism.” That’s often an apt description for naysayers. But somehow successful entrepreneurs always accentuate the positive and know when to be deaf to their nattering nabobs.

With 2,000 stores worldwide doing $25 billion in sales in 26 countries, Staples is a game changer. Tom Stemberg is worth a small fortune. Tom sold most of his Staples stock and has reinvented himself again, as a venture capitalist. He backs other star entrepreneurial companies, such as Lululemon. Some of those who provided the seed capital for Staples, like Bain Capital, earned ...