Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has one question he likes to ask every entrepreneur: “Why does your company deserve to exist?”

“I like to ask entrepreneurs a question: ‘Why does your company deserve to exist?’” Chesky revealed on stage At the top of the Masters range.

“The best general answer I’ve ever heard is: ‘Because if I don’t do it, no one else will.’ I would ask myself this question: What would we do uniquely that if we didn’t do it, no one else would?

It was Cesky Open about The trials and tribulations he faces in scaling his startup into the giant it is today — including that it could be crucial Experience isolation. For this reason, he said it is important for emerging business leaders to be closely connected to the purpose of their business. If they lose sight of why their company exists — or they blindly follow the wave of business — they may get lost in an industry crowded with passionate, innovative entrepreneurs.

“I think (entrepreneurs) have to ask: ‘If you didn’t exist, what would be different in the world?’ What is your unique signature to make?” Chesky continued, adding that many aspiring founders chase trends. “I think business leaders should focus on the unique contribution they can make.”

Leaders in Amazon, StarbucksAl-Hirah has advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Chesky is one of many unicorn founders who are passing on their words of wisdom — and caution — to the next crop of companies luck 500 leaders.

Jeff Bezosfounder of the $2 trillion e-commerce giant Amazon, I conveyed the hard truth To Gen Z entrepreneurs: This is not always the best option For leakage From an Ivy League school and launching a business, e.g Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. Not everyone guarantees that their sacrifices will lead to a billion-dollar innovation. Instead, Bezos pointed to his career journey as a good model for success: Go to college, get a regular job, and then chase entrepreneurial daydreams later after absorbing a lot of knowledge from the business world.

“I started Amazon when I was 30, not when I was 20, and I think those extra 10 years of experience actually improved Amazon’s odds of success,” Bezos said. He said.

Howard Schultzthe former longtime CEO of the $96 billion coffee giant StarbucksBezos echoed Tip that Bushy-tailed entrepreneurs should not rush into starting a business. They should spend part of their career logging in and working under their boss, as this will give them a sneak peek of what’s to come.

“At 22, you will benefit from working for a company that can teach you and show you how an organization works – as long as that company has values ​​that are aligned with yours.” Schultz said luck last year. “There is a huge benefit from being in an organization and seeing the way the company actually works, and what happens inside, before you do it yourself.”

Co-founder and CEO of $18 billion AI company Perplexity, Aravind Srinivas, Business people are advised To associate a deep sense of purpose with speed because if they move slowly, an opponent can beat them – no matter how passionate they are.

“You should assume that if you’re very successful, if your company is something that can generate hundreds of millions of dollars or maybe billions of dollars in revenue, you should always assume that the model company is going to copy it,” Srinivas said. He said in Y Combinator’s AI Startup School earlier this year.

“You have to live with that fear and you have to embrace it. Realize that your position comes from moving quickly and building your own identity around what you do because users ultimately care.”