The first thing is passion.

Freeman Thomas says, I am driven by my passion.

Tedsters do it for  love, they don’t do it for money

Carol Colleta says ‘I would pay someone to do what I do’.

The interesting thing is if you do it for love, the money comes anyway.

 

Work

Rupert Murdoch says it’s all hard work, nothing comes easily but I have a lot of fun doing it.

Tedsters do have fun working and they work hard. I figure they are not workaholics, they are work-a- frolics.

 

Good

Alex Gorden says to be successful put your nose down and be damn good at it.

There is no magic, its practice, practice …

 

And it’s focus

Norman Jewison (Film maker) says it all has to do with focusing yourself on one thing.

 

And Push

David Gallo says you have to push yourself, physically, mentally – you have to push, push, push.

You have got to push through shyness and self doubt

Goldie Hwan (actor) says I always had self doubt, I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t smart enough. I didn’t think I’d make it.

It is not always easy to push yourself and that is why they invented mothers.

Frank Gehry (architect) said to me, ‘my mother pushed me’

 

Serve

Shirwin Neuland (Professor of surgery, Yale) says it was a privilege to serve as a doctor.

A lot of kids tell me they want to be millionaires and I tell them, ‘OK you can’t serve yourself, you have got to serve others something of value. Because that is the way people really get rich’

 

Ideas

Tedster Bill gates says ‘I had an idea – founding the first micro computer company’

There is no magic to creativity and coming up with ideas. It’s just doing some very simple things:

Listen, observe, be curious, ask questions, problem solve and make connections. (This is how ideas are made, remember there is no magic)

 

Persist

Joe Kraus (CEO Excellent) says persistence is the number one reason for our success

You have got to persist through failure

You have got to persist through CRAP

Criticism, Rejection, Assholes and Pressure.

 

So the answer to this question is simple: Pay $4,000 and come to Ted or failing that, do the 8 things - and trust me these are the 8 things that lead to success.