[Year in Review 2019] ‘If you do not innovate, you will stagnate’ – the top 50 quotes from Indian entrepreneur journeys

From ideation to implementation, the changemakers in this compilation have memorable words for us all. In addition to inspiration and motivation, they provide hard-earned lessons about overcoming failure, forming teams, and scaling a company.

Share these quotes with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights (check out our 2018 quotes compilation here). We hope these quotes inspire you to do your bit (and more!) to make India and the world a better place.

See also our pick of the The Top 10 Books of 2019 for Entrepreneurs and our book review section with insights from 200 titles on innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, leadership and digital transformation.

Make it a habit to check out our Daily Capsule, Weekly Founding Roundup, and quotes compilation StoryBites, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of each past week. YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).

YourStory wishes our readers all the very best for the holiday season, and a year of successes and progress ahead in 2020!

Cooking Maggi will not make you a cook. To be a cook, one has to work with the raw materials. - Rohith KN, FutureReadyKids

Life is like ice cream, enjoy it before it melts. - Rahul Bajaj, Out of the Blue

Every saree has a story. - Pallavi Mohadikar, Karagiri

Your location is no bar for your ambition. - Tripti Tiwari, CloudTrains Technologies

Technology, used responsibly, is a powerful force for inclusion. - Roopa Kudva, Omidyar Network India

Disruption should be in technology and not in our core values. - Nagu Chidambaram, Sun Industries

Curiosity is a trait that can serve you well in entrepreneurship — when you are curious about how something works and how it can benefit the masses or solve a problem, then you have in you the makings of a successful entrepreneur. - Vani Kola, Kalaari Capital

Irritation is the biggest source of energy. If you are irritated about something, look into it very carefully for therein lies an opportunity. - CK Kumaravel, Natural Salons

A creative becomes the most successful when it’s associated with a strategy. - Smaranika Jena, Mindbound Creatives

Ultimately one excels only at the things one truly enjoys and is willing to work hard at. - Aditi Chauhan, She Kicks Football Academy

If you love what you do, it makes everything much easier. - Ash Lilani, Saama Capital

Create with the heart; build with the mind. - Sameer A M, Bonito Designs

Fluidity is the key to conquering life. - Abhigna Kedia

Challenges provide us with new learnings. - Dianath Arshad, BREA

Every roadblock or challenge is an opportunity to grow and learn. - Pinky Daga, Thriive Art & Soul

Challenging yourself is the biggest challenge. - Ranveer Allahbadia, BeerBiceps

Every challenge is an opportunity if you flip it. - Geeta Goel, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

You can turn any challenge into an opportunity. - Vidushi Mallick, Coral Haze

If there are no rough patches, you may not be on the right path. - Sampad Swain, Instamojo

99 percent of startups will fail. But 100 percent of entrepreneurs will succeed. - K Vaitheeswaran, Again Drinks

A crisis often brings out the best in you and you discover qualities that you never knew existed within. - Rajeev Siddhartha

If you’ve never failed in life, you’ll be a bad entrepreneur. - Rajiv Srivatsa, Urban Ladder

A startup is a rescue. The founder is one who converts a pain into a gain. - Yasin Patel, AccuraScan

Taking support is not a sign of failure. - Tejas Parulekar, SaffronStays

Rejection is a thing you learn first in entrepreneurship. Nobody prepares you for rejections. The biggest thing about entrepreneurship is to deal with rejection on a constant basis and then still come out of it all right. - Naveen Tewari, InMobi

What is successful today might not be relevant tomorrow, so innovation is the key. - Prerna Gupta, Floft Sudio

Creativity stops when the will to learn does. - Vinesh Johny, Lavonne Academy

It is a trap to be satisfied; one always needs to change the status quo. - David Gurlé, Symphony

If you do not innovate, you will stagnate. - Ravinder Singh, 1-India Family Mart

Version One is better than Version None. - David Nour, 'Co-Create'

Entrepreneurs are like the trunk of a tree, which gives fruits to those who want, shade to the passers by, and holds the branches and leaves together so that the tree can thrive and grow. - Bhavin Turakhia, Flock

Being an entrepreneur is nothing like being an employee. Speed of action is more critical in a startup; otherwise your competition will wipe you off. - Keerti Singh, Hitwicket

Money is a byproduct of quality. - Bhanu Pratap Singh Slathia, Ladybird Web Solution

Dexterity is in your mind, not just in your fingers. - Gautam Karajgi, Anandwan

Happiness is derived from true enthusiasm. - Shreyans Jain, Under 25

Build teams that work with you, not for you. - Arpita Ganesh, The Voice Company

Posters don’t define culture; what you do defines culture. - Deepinder Goyal, Zomato

The more diverse your network is, the more complete a person you become. - Sanya Khurana, 'One Action'

It’s easy for a unicorn to build another. Champions breed champions. - Rajat Tandon, IVCA

Valuation is vanity. That number is going to keep changing with every round, but what will not change is the percentage of ownership. - Tarun Davda, Matrix India

Great organisations are built to last, not built to sell. - Abhiraj Singh Bhal, Urban Clap

What founders have to keep in mind is that an IPO is not the end but actually the beginning. - Nithin Kamath, Zerodha

Power doesn't come from clothes, it comes from within. - Anita Dongre

Your ambition should be so high, that it should scare you. - Tanuja Gomes, Furtados School of Music

Be the change the world needs. - Rashi Agarwal, Pita Pit

Sustainability is the only way forward. We have already done enough damage to our environment as much our own body. - Krithika Prasad, Kayashashtra

Responsibility and freedom go hand in hand. If you don’t want to take responsibility for your actions, you can’t enjoy the freedom either. - Bhisham Bhateja, The Man Company

The more value we add to our ecosystem, the more valuable we become. - Shayak Mazumder, Eunimart

The success of any business is reflected in its positive impact on the ecosystem. - Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Flipkart

Collaboration is the new competition. - Jacqueline Guichelaar, Cisco

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).

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