Basha Rubin is the CEO of Priori Legal, an online marketplace connecting businesses with a network of vetted lawyers at transparent, below-market and fixed rates. She speaks and writes extensively on how technology and innovation is changing — and will change — the market for legal services. Her writing has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, Women 2.0 and Under30CEO. She holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A. from Yale College, and is a member of the New York Bar. She also sits on the boards of A Blade of Grass and the Rubin Museum of Art. Follow her @basharubin.
Who is your hero?
Anyone who works tirelessly toward a goal — big or small — they are passionate about (without losing their sense of humor) is a hero of mine.
What’s the single best piece of business advice that helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today, and why?
Be motivated by “no.” When someone says “that will never work” or “go away,” let that motivate your success. Especially at the outset, there can be a lot of naysayers. Obviously, you shouldn’t let their negativity get you down, but you can also use it to fuel your fire and ambition.
What’s the biggest mistake you ever made in your business, and what did you learn from it that others can learn from too?
As a first-time entrepreneur, I spent way too much time refining my business idea alone, and too little meeting like-minded peers. Don’t let yourself get stuck in a hole: maximize your efforts by continuing to develop your business idea AND growing the network that will help support it.
What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?
First thing in the morning, I read any news that’s relevant to the business, scan my email for anything urgent and then get started on the “big” task I need to accomplish that day. Oh, and the NYT Crossword.
What’s your best financial or cash-flow related tip for entrepreneurs just getting started?
Be honest with yourself and transparent with your co-founders, partners, investors about how much money you have access to, how much money you need to get to MVP and how much financial risk you can tolerate.
Quick: What’s ONE thing you recommend ALL aspiring or current entrepreneurs do right now to take their biz to the next level?
Reexamine all your assumptions, regularly. (Wine helps after).
What’s your definition of success? How will you know when you’ve finally “succeeded” in your business?
Never. No such thing! The thrill of the chase motivates me as much as (if not more than) achieving our metrics for success. I can’t imagine a time when there isn’t a “success” still on the horizon . And frankly, I think I would be pretty bored if that happened.
