What does an entrepreneur who takes their company public on the New York Stock Exchange and an NBA basketball player have in common? Martín Migoya, CEO and Co-founder of Globant, talked to Manu Ginóbili, one of the top basketball players in the world, about the features and values needed to achieve your most ambitious dreams.
You can access the full interview here.
These are some highlights from this one-to-one conversation:
Always aim higher
We all know stories about entrepreneurs and mystical garages where dreams were transformed into large corporations, where thousands of people work today. We also hear the stories of renowned athletes who were once only promises and, driven by passion and the spirit of self‑improvement, achieved what seemed impossible.
How do you go from the garage to the big leagues?
“I grew up watching Jordan. At the age of 9 or 12, the NBA felt like something unattainable for me. First, I dreamed of being part of the national team and playing in the World Cup and the Olympics. Step by step, I achieved every goal I set for myself,” said Manu Ginóbili, the only basketball player in the world to have won NBA Championship Rings, the Euroleague, and a gold medal at the Olympics. Martín Migoya agreed with the fact that having a vision is key to achieving your dreams. “When Globant was born, there was no one to set up the computers for those who joined the company, so I did it myself. I had to give each computer a number and I remember that I gave the first one the number: GLOB-0001. I was already thinking in four digits… It’s all about starting from the bottom, but always aiming much, much higher.”
At Globant, one of our core values is Think Big. What does Think Big mean to us? And why is it a key element in achieving not only our individual goals but also those of the organization? There are two main elements to the magic of thinking big: first, having a vision, embracing challenges and planning the steps towards our goals. Second, providing resources and spaces for everyone to grow. Globant was built on the basis of constant challenges and growth.
There are no shortcuts to success
“The road to success is filled with defeats,” both Ginóbili and Migoya agreed. It may seem like just another motivational quote, but behind every success there are life stories and people who have overcome uncertainty, frustration, pain because of failure, sacrifice and pressure.
“In order to become a professional basketball player, I had to do the opposite of what my classmates and friends were doing: I didn’t go out, I had to bear criticism while being far from home, and I gave up personal moments,” Ginóbili explained. “For entrepreneurs, pressure raises all standards, pressure translates into the need to be prepared to make the cut. Things can go great or wrong, but if you are playing, you have to give it all,” Migoya highlighted.
Giving it all
Both in business and in sports, the key is to enhance our strengths, minimize our weaknesses and take our best strategies to the court. That is how you can fully develop your potential, because both in business and in sports, you either win or you lose, there is no middle ground. How can you “set up” a winning mindset?
“By thinking in the long term, setting goals, being ambitious in terms of what you want, and entering the game knowing you have to be better than people on the other side of the world,” stated Migoya. “By trusting yourself, not letting unbridled flattery take you too high or merciless criticism take you too low… Emotional stability is a fundamental lesson,” added Ginóbili.
Constant evolution: set goals and rethink them
Just like those athletes who visualize victory before each game, entrepreneurs must be able to visualize their goals. “But your goals and dreams are always evolving and grow with you,” Migoya remarked. In Ginóbili’s words, “goals must always be dynamic.”
That is why Globant’s “vision” is reviewed and updated every year by the management team. Rethinking and adjusting goals helps Globant to be ready to innovate and grow at any time.
The desire to inspire, transcend and create something that exceeds individuals is a road worth taking.
