This is a bit tongue in cheek .... from Geoff Quartermaine Bastin.
I haven't succeeded, so here's the reasons why I haven't:
1. I'm a bad judge of character. The most successful venture I invested in (fish farm in Thailand) we selected a manager who fried his brains with ganja... what a lousy choice.
2. I have daft ideas about what's interesting as opposed to what makes money... follow the $$$$$$$$$
3. I read all the "self help books" and bios of people like Richard Branson - what works on paper actually doesn't in real life... I can write ALL the success methods you want... but life has a habit of not conforming
4. I got "educated" at Oxford University - it's taken me 40 years to unlearn all that rubbish. Run fast away from academics!
5. I trusted my business partners (See 1 above)... don' have partners.
6. I'm too clever by half (see 4)..... be humble (or pretend to be)
7. No access to capital and my wife keeps the savings - she's smart and I can't touch them:) LoL
8. Most of my clients are in the public sector - 'nuff said
9. I've enjoyed myself too much failing to succeed... But man HAVE I HAD FUN!!!!!
10. I believed LinkedIn actually made a difference to business success.
Sorry for this.... tongue in cheek.... actually I've done OK. But these gung ho BE POSITIVE formulas for success drive me up the wall!
The real secret is be prepared (have basic skills, networks and experience), work hard, work for the right people (fire clients who are an emotional or financial drag or professional drag), work with the right people (who are smarter than you are), defend your reputation at all costs ....and have a little luck.