Mark Cuban Shares the Best Advice He Ever Got
The 'Shark Tank' investor also shares his top productivity and focus tips.
By Nina Zipkin •
If you ever wanted to pitch Mark Cuban your idea, thanks to a partnership with CharityBuzz, you could get the chance. You have until Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. ET to bid on an hourlong one-on-one meeting with Cuban to tell him all about your business. (The current top bid as of press time was $18,250.)
In a Q&A with Entrepreneur, the businessman, investor, Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank star shared his daily routine, his earliest business lessons, his top productivity tip and the best advice he ever received.
Read on for more from Cuban below.
How do you start your day?
Decaf coffee, Alyssa's Healthy Cookies, read my emails from over night and watch CNBC to get caught up on the markets.
How do you end your day?
Put the kids to bed and get on the elliptical for an hour while I watch basketball games.
What's a book that changed your mind and why?
The Master Algorithm by Pedro Domingos. I hadn't been convinced that it was prime time for AI. It is.
What's a book you always recommend and why?
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen. No business should ever take what they have for granted
What's a strategy to keep focused?
Always remember why you started and why you want to finish.
Related: 10 Inspiring Quotes From Billionaire Entrepreneur and Shark Tank Star Mark Cuban
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A baseball or basketball player.
What did you learn from the worst boss you ever had?
He was more concerned with looking good than getting results. Actually, I had two that were like that. They knew where to buy great suits, but had no idea how to sell.
Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
My dad. He wanted me to have what he never did, and always gave me confidence to try and to never fear failure.
What was an early job that taught you something important or useful?
I sold garbage bags door to door. I learned that selling was about helping and that hearing a no was not a big deal.
What's the best advice you ever took?
Today is the youngest you will ever be. Live like it. Came from my dad. His point was that as we reach bigger numbers we tend to think we are old. Then we look back and realize just how young we were and didn't experience things we wanted to do because we felt we were old.
What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?
Streaming is a stupid idea.
What's a productivity tip you swear by?
Only do meetings if you absolutely have to.
