Mike Trevino is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Indigenous Software. Mike was formerly CTO of NantWorks and General Manager of Vitality, Inc. While at NantWorks, he also ran M&A for the NantHealth business unit. Before NantWorks, he was Senior Director of Strategic IP at Qualcomm. Mike is Founder and President of Enduragive, a charitable organization, and is also a Non-Executive Director of SIME Diagnostics. He is a world-class endurance athlete, and his passion and appetite for endurance fuels the ambitious vision for the Indigenous platform. Follow him @Mike_Indigenous.

Who’s your hero? (In business, life, or both.)

My mom raised four children with little help and started a small business on her own. She worked tirelessly for two decades with dignity, class and grace. She taught me the benefits of hard work, delay of gratification, and the importance of setting goals. She’s a true hero.

What’s the single best piece of business advice that helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today, and why?

I was fortunate enough to work closely with a billionaire for a few years. During that time I received incredible advice and learned some counterintuitive things that continue to shape me today, including the following:

• Uncertainty, chaos, and lack of structure is OK. Just be prepared to move when it’s time to position your business favorably.
• Be a student. There’s always more to learn and discover. Childlike curiosity makes you a better leader and person.
• Never solve problems with money.
• Don’t judge people, but always assess capabilities.
• Your vision must be articulated repeatedly every day for years before people understand it, appreciate its scope, and believe it just might be possible.
• Think big. Don’t confine your thoughts or try to define within existing constructs.
• Know when to obsess over details and when to pull back. There’s a time and place for both.
• Treat everyone the same. Dignitaries and bottle washers both deserve to be treated with respect.
• Think out loud. Rehearse and practice with other people and be receptive to their feedback.
• Work harder, smarter, and more openly than anyone. Put yourself out there. Get in the arena and don’t worry about critics.

What’s the biggest mistake you ever made in your business, and what did you learn from it that others can learn from too?

I made too many assumptions and didn’t validate them quickly enough. More specifically, if your business success hinges on launching a solution for which there’s a problem, people don’t understand you’re not likely to get product-market fit. It’s easy to become enamored with technology or other aspects of a product but in the end what matters is that there’s a viable market for the product and people are searching for a solution. Don’t put your head down. Go talk to real people and get their feedback. If possible, pre-sell what you’re building and generate an interest list. Ask good questions, listen and validate your assumptions early.

What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?

I usually get up to run around 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. every morning. My first hour is my most productive. I set the agenda for the day, plan out the things that need to be accomplished and share them with my team to make sure everyone’s on the same page. It’s quiet and focused time that allows me to set the cadence for the day. I then head out for my run, which has turned into a meditative time when I collect my thoughts and think about what’s next.

What’s your best financial/cash-flow related tip for entrepreneurs just getting started?

Focus on fundamentals. Be prepared to do more with less. Whether you’re launching a product or a service find your customer fast, deliver results and make tweaks in real time. Be prepared to offer price breaks for up-front payment or share revenue with affiliates who can bring you customers — anything that can bring cash in sooner and minimize out of pocket expenses. Fail fast and pivot. Don’t be sentimental if something doesn’t work out or continue to spend money on an idea after you’ve received confirmation there’s no viable market for it.

Quick: What’s ONE thing you recommend ALL aspiring or current entrepreneurs do right now to take their biz to the next level?

Find someone wiser and more experienced who is interested in advising you and/or joining your team. If you already have someone like this then sit down with them, be objective about where you and the business sit and cherish their questions and feedback. And act on it.

What’s your definition of success? How will you know when you’ve finally “succeeded” in your business?

Success for us is having maximum impact on as many small businesses as possible. We’re goal oriented and we aim to achieve some big numbers.