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Mark Cuban’s Million-Dollar Lesson: Why Failing Doesn’t Matter—Being Right Once Does
- Startup Bell
- Mar 20
- 4 min read
In the world of startups, everyone loves a good success story. The entrepreneur who turned an idea into a billion-dollar empire. The "overnight success" that took the world by storm.
But what most people don’t see is the years of struggle, the countless failures, and the relentless persistence it takes to get there.
Mark Cuban, billionaire investor and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, understands this better than most. His journey wasn’t a straight line to success. It was filled with failures, rejections, and even getting fired from jobs. But as Cuban puts it:
"It doesn't matter how many times you fail, you only have to be right once, then everybody can call you an overnight success."
The Powdered Milk Disaster
Before Mark Cuban became the outspoken billionaire we know today, he was just another entrepreneur trying to make something work. One of his earliest ventures? A powdered milk company.
Sounds weird, right? But in Cuban’s mind, it made perfect sense. It was cheaper than regular milk, and in his words:
"So what if it doesn't taste quite as good?"
Well, turns out people actually like their milk to taste good.
The business was a total flop. No one wanted his cheaper but worse-tasting milk. It was a failure—just one of many. But Cuban wasn’t discouraged. He learned, adapted, and moved on.
"I've had a lot of success in my life and I've had failures. And you'll laugh at the failures."
That powdered milk company? Just a tiny footnote in Cuban’s journey. No one remembers it today because, eventually, he was right about something big.
The Fired Employee Who Became a Billionaire
Cuban’s failures didn’t stop at bad business ideas. He also got fired from jobs—a lot of jobs.
"I've been fired from more jobs than you've probably had."
One of the most well-known stories from his early career is when he worked as a computer salesman. He had no background in tech, but he saw an opportunity and took the job anyway.
One day, he was about to close a deal worth $15,000—big money for the company. But before finalizing it, he needed to go pick up a check from a client. His boss told him not to leave the store, but Cuban went anyway. When he returned, he was fired on the spot.
That could have been the end of the story. He could have gone back to a regular job, played it safe, and never taken another risk.
Instead, getting fired led him to start his own company, MicroSolutions, which focused on software and networking. He didn’t just get back on his feet—he built a business and sold it for $6 million in 1990.
A few years later, he co-founded Broadcast.com, a streaming service before streaming was mainstream. Yahoo! acquired it for $5.7 billion.
The man who had been fired multiple times? Now a billionaire.
Failing Until You Get It Right
Cuban’s story highlights an essential truth about success: failure doesn’t matter if you keep going.
Steve Jobs was fired from his own company, Apple, before returning to turn it into one of the most valuable companies in history.
Jeff Bezos launched zShops, an early attempt at an online marketplace, which failed before he built Amazon into an e-commerce giant.
Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for "lacking imagination" before creating the Disney empire.
All of them faced rejection. All of them had ideas that didn’t work. But like Cuban says:
"It doesn't matter how many times I've failed. I only had to be right one time."
The Overnight Success Myth
When people see someone like Mark Cuban, they assume he was always successful. They call him an “overnight success.”
But overnight success is a myth. What people don’t see is the years of struggle behind the scenes.
Failures become irrelevant once you make it. No one cares about your bad ideas, failed startups, or the times you got fired. They only remember the moment you got it right.
How to Apply This to Your Own Life
So what does this mean for you? If you're an entrepreneur, a founder, or just someone chasing a dream, here’s what you need to take away from Mark Cuban’s story:
1. Fail Fast, Learn Faster
If you try something and it doesn’t work—move on. Cuban didn’t dwell on his powdered milk disaster. He learned and pivoted. Failure isn’t the end; it’s just data telling you what doesn’t work.
2. Keep Swinging Until You Hit a Home Run
Most successful entrepreneurs weren’t right the first time. Or the second. Or even the third. But they kept going. You only need one big win.
3. Ignore the Doubters
People will laugh at your failures. Let them. One day, those same people might be calling you a genius.
4. Take Risks and Bet on Yourself
Cuban didn’t wait for permission. He took chances. He bet on himself, even when it meant getting fired. If you believe in what you’re doing, keep pushing forward.
5. Success Erases Failure
The moment you succeed, no one cares how many times you failed. The world loves a winner, and once you win, all the past struggles become part of a great story.
Final Thoughts
Mark Cuban’s life is proof that failure isn’t something to fear—it’s just part of the process. If you’re willing to push through the losses, keep learning, and never give up, eventually, you’ll be right about something big.
And that’s all it takes.
“It doesn't matter how many times you fail, you only have to be right once, then everybody can call you an overnight success.”
So go ahead—fail, learn, and keep moving forward. Your one right time might be just around the corner.
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