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Think résumés can give you a leg up as a business leader? It hardly makes Daniel Lubetzky’s list of what really matters.
The KIND Snacks founder and “Shark Tank” investor told an audience at the Clover x Shark Tank Summit in Las Vegas this week that the real keys to success have little to do with credentials.
Instead, he outlined four principles that he says separate thriving businesses from those destined to fail.
For Lubetzky, business begins with people.
He recalled a South African proverb that says, “We’re only human because of other humans,” and argued that the same applies to companies.
“Community is what makes us human,” he said. “Create a community where everyone is in it together.”
Rather than focusing narrowly on profits, he believes leaders should prioritize building a sense of belonging among employees and customers alike — the kind of trust that sustains a business in good times and bad.
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Lubetzky’s second principle challenges one of the most common business practices: hiring based on credentials.
While many executives obsess over résumés and technical skills, he said those are secondary.
“Skills can be taught, but it’s harder to teach values,” he said.
At his companies, he said, the hiring process is built around screening for alignment with a clear set of values, which he defines at the outset of every venture.
The KIND founder argued that character and values are far more important indicators of success than skills.
Lubetzky also made the case for introspection in a hyper-connected world.
With everyone tethered to their devices, he believes entrepreneurs risk losing the clarity that comes from quiet time.
“Spend more time with yourself,” he said.
He said that can be taking a walk, lying down without distractions, or even showering without music.
He said the point is to ask yourself difficult but essential questions, like “What gives you meaning, what did you do wrong and right today, what should you love yourself for.”
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Finally, Lubetzky stressed resilience.
He was candid about his failures, admitting that many of his ventures flopped before KIND became a success.
But he insists those stumbles are what forged him.
“Difficult moments are what forge you,” he said. “I had so many ventures I started and so many things I failed at, but you only need one to succeed.”
He argues that the key is not avoiding mistakes but learning from them and being willing to pivot when feedback shows an idea isn’t working.