What Billionaires Actually Do Different (And What You're Probably Missing)

There’s a bunch of advice floating around about how to get rich. Most of it is white noise. But when you dig into what actually successful people do, a few patterns emerge that most founders completely miss.

The boring stuff everyone knows: Yes, billionaires are adaptable, ambitious, never give up, all that. 79% are self-made, so it’s not about luck or inheritance. They save aggressively, invest in growth assets, and learn constantly. We get it.

But here’s what actually separates them:

They hire people smarter than them in every area. Not just okay people. Better people. And they actually listen to criticism instead of getting defensive. Most founders can’t do this because of ego.

They treat pressure like information, not like an attack. David Meltzer breaks it down simply: pressure comes from ego. You acknowledge it, breathe, and reset. That’s it. No drama.

They learned random skills that seemed useless at the time. Ben Francis learned to sew from family. Turns out, understanding your entire product deeply (even the parts you’ll delegate later) changes how you lead.

They actually sleep. Not “hustle culture” sleep. Real sleep. CDC data shows rich people sleep more than poor people, not less. This one detail gets ignored constantly.

The part that trips people up? Compassion isn’t soft. It’s literally a business multiplier. When you treat people and problems with actual care, your transactions improve, your relationships stick, your team performs better. But it has to be real—tied to your actual values, not performed.

And failure? They use it. Not “I learned so much from my failure” BS. Actual systems: they examine what broke, adjust strategy, try again. That’s it.

The real move: Self-awareness. Know your actual strengths and weaknesses. Most people can’t be honest with themselves about either. Then build a team that covers your gaps.

It’s not revolutionary. But the gap between knowing this stuff and actually doing it? That’s where most people fail.