The importance of persistence

I explained that they will make back the cost of each GPS device within a month and then everything from that point forward will be pure profit for them.

I explained that it would also mean they would be providing a higher level of service to their customers than any of their competitors were at the time.

Not a single one was interested in my proposal. A few of them accepted my offer of a free trial device and then I never heard from them again.

Five years later, it’s impossible to rent a car without being offered a GPS upgrade.

In January 2009 I was in discussions with Roger Federer about hosting the first ever live sports match on YouTube.

I had devised a plan to host a best of three-match series between himself and Rafael Nadal, when both men were at their absolute peak.

I had the privilege of seeing them battle it out on many courts around the world, and wanted to bring this phenomenal experience to billions around the world.

I offered US$20 million prize money to the winner of the series, with nothing going to the loser. The event would have been broadcast only on YouTube, live, to every corner of the globe.

It would have been a landmark moment in the history of the internet, and the advertising revenue from online ads would have made it financially feasible.

Unfortunately our talks fell through.

Last month, YouTube announced the launch of “Channels” and dedicated premium content, which is the precursor to the sort of high quality live content I envisaged in 2009.

These three ideas did not eventuate. However, I didn’t become disheartened.

Many businesspeople fall into the trap of losing faith in their own innovations because others don’t share their vision.

This used to get me down. I would then go to YouTube and type: “Apple Think Different” and that would cause me to get over it pretty quickly.

Thankfully, I’m now in a position where I don’t need approval from others to turn my ideas into reality.

We can rapidly create almost anything we imagine at Kogan. Whether or not you have a team that can assist in turning your dreams into reality, make sure you stay persistent.

Ruslan Kogan is founder of online tech retailer Kogan . You can join in the discussion with Ruslan on Twitter: @ruslankogan