PERSEVERANCE

Don't cry to give up, cry to keep going.

Nobody gave me a building. Nobody gave me a contact list. Nobody gave me a family trust fund. I started with a $2 million government contract at 27 and built an $8 billion portfolio. That is what is possible in America if people get out of your way.

Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine. Most people die tomorrow evening.

I sued my own government for five years to get a telecom license. Everyone said I was crazy. But I knew the law was on my side, and the law eventually prevailed. That's the power of democracy — even an imperfect one.

I started this at 26 with a PhD and a dream. Fourteen years later, we're delivering tens of thousands of vehicles. It took longer than I expected and was harder than I imagined. But we're building something that will exist long after the stock price noise fades.

Let everyone else call your idea crazy... just keep going. Don't stop. Don't even think about stopping until you get there.

I truly believe that running is an analogy for life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought.

Option A is not available. So let's just kick the hell out of Option B.

Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.

I was homeless for six years trying to make my first play work. Six years. Most people quit after six months.

We operate the largest shared closet in the world. The logistics are a nightmare. But the idea is worth fighting for.

The 2019 Masters was the most important win of my career. Not because of the score, but because of what I overcame to get there.

I slept in my car doing comedy shows for $50. Now I sign $100 million deals. The car didn't have air conditioning, by the way.

I failed at 20 startups before Instacart. The only thing that changed was the idea. I was the same person.

Winning at 50 meant more than winning at 30. It proved that experience and preparation can beat youth and talent.

The FDA told us to stop selling our product. Instead of giving up, we spent two years proving them wrong.

Being number two is exhausting. But it's better than not building at all.

I grew up in Aligarh speaking only Hindi. I learned English from television. In India, that background usually means you don't become a tech billionaire.

I spent 24 years building one company. Most founders move on after five. I still believe in the mission.

People told me women couldn't race at the front. I just needed one win to prove that was about the car, not the driver.

People ask me how to be the greatest. The answer is doing the skill everyone says is impossible until you do it enough times that they rename it after you.

Boxing gave me everything — money, fame, a platform. But I would trade none of it. I earned it in the hardest way possible. In a ring. Alone.

I signed my newsletter G. Weiss because no one would read it if they knew a woman wrote it. Then they found out and kept subscribing anyway.

I had to fight for everything I got. But I never asked for a seat at the table. I bought one.

Power Rangers was rejected by every single network. Every one of them passed. And then Fox said yes, and it became the number one show in America.

Perseverance got me to this point to realize this opportunity. You can persevere, but you also need good relationships, you treat your partners and investors well, and you act with honesty and integrity.

After taking risks and drilling a lot of dry holes, when it looked like all hope was lost, I'd find something that kept me going.