There is no such thing as an overnight success. Although some businesses may appear to come from nowhere and grow to dominate a marketplace, the reality is often very different. Behind the scenes there is often failure, sacrifice and hundreds of hours of hard work. It took Steve Jobs two decades to become an ‘overnight’ dot com billionaire with Apple. It was a similar story for Microsoft founder Bill Gates. He founded the company in 1975, but it was 11 years before Microsoft went public, making him an overnight success worth $350 million. Thirty years ago I was a musician. I built up a business renting grand pianos to hotels across Manchester. It was only after selling that business I saw a gap in the market for internet hosting. Could a musician make it as a tech entrepreneur? UKFast is now 20 years old and it’s easy to walk through the doors into a unique space with a gym, slides, sleeping pods and a big team and assume it’s always been this way. But remember, every startup has to start somewhere! In this episode, I share the reasons why each and every step in your journey is important to help you hit your goals, even the seemingly backward steps. I was, and still am, a failed musician. When we started UKFast two decades ago, in the bedroom of the flat we were living in, I could never have imagined where we are today. It’s been one hell of a ride! Key takeaways: Learning to deal with failure Don’t try and go it alone, understand the importance of collaboration Every business has to start somewhere Understanding the power of a brand Concentrate on the effort and the output will come Remember building a successful business is a journey