For the future entrepreneurs

Embrace the pain One of the best ways to think like an entrepreneur is to think pain. Every day, we're faced with situations that are difficult and that cause frustration. Public transportation is never a walk in the park.

Keeping track of all of your company documents is a total drag. It’s impossible for a startup to find office space in the Bay Area. But instead of saying, “That’s life!” or apologizing for the pain point, ask kids: How would you make it better? Do you think there are other people who feel the same way? Are there enough people who would pay to make it better? Getting your kids to think critically about and then solve problems is a crucial step in learning how to think like an entrepreneur.

Ask for help and reciprocate Nobody can go it alone -- it’s too damn hard. We tell kids that there are no dumb questions, but as adults we're too scared to ask for help. This has to stop.

Tell kids to ask for help, and then tell them that the first step in asking for help is offering to help someone else. The more often you help others, the more help you get in return. It just works that way. The more open and supportive you are as an entrepreneur, the more successful your entire community will be.

Don’t be afraid of uncertainty Sometimes you have a good idea, but the timing is off. Sometimes the timing is perfect, but you fail anyway. Sometimes you decide to work for a big company instead of starting your own because it's the more “certain” thing to do. But then the business does a round of layoffs, and you’re out of a job.

Let kids know that uncertainty is everywhere, but failure is only failure if you stop trying. Keep going. Being an entrepreneur isn't glamorous. But every day is a new challenge, and you get to do what you believe is right, as opposed to trying to fit within somebody else’s structure. By instilling these values in our children today, we cultivate progress and drive success within the generation that will soon be society’s leaders. By teaching our children to be leaders, we're educating a community of entrepreneurs for tomorrow.