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    • Marketing tech startups
    • Startup sales growth
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    • Privacy Policy
    • Hennyonbranding
    • Marketing Campaigns
    • advice from founders
    • Google analytics
    • Hubspot
    • Pardot
    • Cyber Security
    • Marketo
    • In game advertising
    • Linkedin Ad Campaigns
    • Integrated Marketing
    • Startup looking to expand
    • Human resources
    • What is ABM?
    • Microinfluencer Guide
  • Marketing tech startups
  • Startup sales growth
  • Innovation
  • Privacy Policy
  • Hennyonbranding
  • Marketing Campaigns
  • advice from founders
  • Google analytics
  • Hubspot
  • Pardot
  • Cyber Security
  • Marketo
  • In game advertising
  • Linkedin Ad Campaigns
  • Integrated Marketing
  • Startup looking to expand
  • Human resources
  • What is ABM?
  • Microinfluencer Guide
Bela Hatvany, Billionaire Entrepreneur. Founder of Justgiving, major Tesla investor, from 2015.
Credit: Janne Wolterbeek for the photographs of Bela Hatvany

Interview: how to start your own business

Inventor of the touch-screen, serial entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, Bela Hatvany. Sometimes, breaking free from the status quo is the only way to truly thrive. Bela Hatvany’s story is one that speaks to the courage it takes to leave the comfort of the familiar to build something extraordinary. 

Six questions with Bela Hatvany

How to start your own business interview with Bela Hatvany

Bela Hatvany, the billionaire inventor of the touch screen, graciously joined me for an interview this week, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. There’s so much about his life and career that captivates me.


A true pioneer, Bela embraced values decades ago that many considered radical at the time. When he was a tech startup CEO and founder over 40 years ago, his ideas pushed boundaries. One of his steadfast practices? Daily meditation, which he’s maintained for more than 50 years and credits as a vital part of his success.


Bela’s formative years in corporate life were far from idyllic. He worked for well-known companies, describing the experience as “penal servitude,” governed by an “authoritative and dictatorial” leadership style. Unsurprisingly, he rejected these outdated norms and instead became a living example of the values today’s millennial and Gen Z employees champion.


Long before it was in vogue, Bela questioned the principles of old-school management, such as rigid, top-down decision-making. Instead, he advocated for a holistic approach to leadership that nurtured employees’ body, mind, and spirit. His drive to embed ethics and integrity into the companies he founded shaped workplaces that mirrored his strong moral compass.


Bela’s life and interests are as dynamic as his career. He’s lived across the globe—from moving to the US mid-career to earning his MBA at Harvard University, to starting a business in Mexico City. 


Now, he resides in the picturesque South of France, happily exploring the scenic countryside in his new Tesla. And speaking of Tesla, he was far ahead of the curve there as well. Bela became a major investor in the company as early as 2015.


His commitment to sustainability isn’t just limited to his investments. Bela has championed the values of a sustainable economy for decades, long before the world caught up. It’s this kind of forward-thinking that has defined so much of his extraordinary career.


To round out his remarkable story, Bela began his academic life studying engineering at St. Andrews. After five challenging years at BP, a stint that ultimately shaped his views on corporate structures, he made the bold move to the United States in pursuit of greater opportunity.


Bela Hatvany’s story is one of courage, innovation, and unwavering values, making him someone who continues to redefine what true leadership and success mean.                           

Bela Hatvany, entrepreneur, investor, innovator

Video

Crowdfunding with JustGiving 

Six questions about entrepreneurship with Bela

Subscribers to my blog and website got the unique chance to ask Bela questions themselves.

1. Did he come up with these business ideas through problems he was noticing in his day to day life or was it from “brainstorming business ideas or a sudden idea”?


My first business was just luck. I founded my first company, COMSISA, in Mexico City, which computerised and served sugar mills and local companies. 


My second business was through seeing problems I was noticing in my life.


I needed to access information for work, which I found hard to do. CLSI was the first company to develop the minicomputer for use in libraries. After returning to live in London in 1981, I sold it to Thyssen Bornemisza in 1983.


My third business was founding Silverplatter. I wanted a better way to store information and decided to try using the CD Rom. So my company was the first to put library information on CD Roms. I sold Silverplatter to Wolters Kluwer for $113 Million in 2001.


2. Tell me about how you invented the touch screen?


When I was working in the library business, I was figuring out a way to be able to move information around on the screen itself. I remembered the solution to a problem I had come up with when I was an engineering student at St Andrews University and applied it to this problem. 


I pulled an engineer in our team onto the problem. Henry NG, was able to insert metal between two sheets of glass that we could then use to set up basic touch screen technology. Therefore, In 1980, with Henry Ng, I invented the touch screen, which is now used on smartphones and tablets.


3. What was your best day and worst day of work as an entrepreneur?


At CLSI, it was getting my first big contract, which was enough to persuade investors to put in seed money. At CLSI, we also went bankrupt, and I was fired from my own company. So that was my best and worst day both at the same company.


4. What motivates you as an entrepreneur? 


Anger. Initially, I was incensed at how badly I was being managed as an employee in some large corporations. My managers were stupid and greedy. I knew I could do a better job myself. 


So I founded my first company to prove it to myself and them.  


When I decided to finance Just Giving, I had long been incensed by the waste and corruption in the charitable giving sector. Frequently 100% of your donation was going to the administration of the charity.


In effect, none of the public contributions was reaching them. Just Giving brought down the charity administrative costs from an average of 30% to only 5%.


I knew there must be a better way to run charities. But it was not until the internet came along that I figured out what that was. (Blackbaud purchased Justgiving from Bela for £95 Million in 2017).


5. If I wanted to become a business owner today, what advice would you give me?


A troubling trend I've noticed growing in our society is that of victimhood. People do not take charge of their lives. 


We can see this recently with the flooding in England. The Dutch have brilliant technology that has mastered these problems centuries ago already. The Dutch reclaimed over half their country from the sea. So why can't we in the UK do this on a smaller scale in the twenty-first century? 


Stop thinking of yourself as a victim of your circumstances. When Viktor Frankl (author of 'Man's Search for Meaning') was imprisoned in a concentration camp and survived, while countless others perished, he was asked 'how did you do it?' He replied that 'everyone else in there chose to believe they were starving. I chose to believe that I was fasting'.


6. Give me a quote or philosophy of life you love! 


Over the years, many, many people, often very powerful ones, have asked me 'when will that be completed?'. Typically they are pushing me for a deadline. 


Everywhere around me increasingly, I see people are becoming less and less patient. 


Ironically this demand for employees to be 'always on', and continually multi-tasking and working to deadlines has made them less productive whilst also damaging their health. 


- Productivity has been declining, particularly in the UK, for many years. So where have all these deadlines got us? What have they achieved? Have they simply drained all innovation from us?


You are seeing all kinds of negative reactions to this widely adopted management philosophy; From alcoholism to obesity, from broken marriages to career burnout and the current pandemic of mental health issues.


Over my career, whenever people have urged me with this question 'when will this project be completed?' I reply 'in the fullness of time'!

Learn More

Are you motivated to become an entrepeneur by anger at poor management or because you experience work in a corporation to be like prison? You might be just like Bela.

Find out more

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Bela Hatvany: From Corporate 'Prison' to Visionary Entrepreneur

Sometimes, breaking free from the status quo is the only way to truly thrive. Bela Hatvany’s story is one that speaks to the courage it takes to leave the comfort of the familiar to build something extraordinary. Investor, inventor of the touch-screen, and philanthropist, Hatvany’s life is a shining example of how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to immense success and personal fulfillment.

But his path wasn’t a straight shot to fame and fortune. It was a winding, bold journey that began in corporate life, a chapter he describes as being “like prison.”

The 'Prison' of Corporate Life

Bela Hatvany started his career as an engineer at BP. On the surface, it might have seemed like the perfect job for an ambitious young professional, but for Hatvany, it didn’t take long to realize that corporate life wasn’t for him. 

He likened it to being in a prison, where creativity was stifled and individuality rarely rewarded. The rigid structures, hierarchies, and lack of room for independent innovation left him restless and uninspired. For Hatvany, it was clear that his potential wasn’t going to be realized behind those corporate walls.

This disillusionment with traditional corporate environments eventually became a turning point. Hatvany wasn’t content with merely surviving; he wanted to thrive.

A Mind Built for Efficiency

His break from BP led him to IBM, where Hatvany worked as a computer programmer. It was here that his brilliance began to shine. Hatvany wasn’t interested in merely doing what he was told—instead, he questioned, explored, and innovated. He figured out not only how to complete his tasks but how to do them better and much, much faster.

Remarkably, he developed ways to perform the jobs of ten people in a fraction of the time it would typically take. This kind of thinking was revolutionary. It not only highlighted Hatvany’s technical skill, but also his knack for efficiency, problem-solving, and challenging the status quo. It sparked his realization that he didn’t just excel at following existing systems; he was born to invent new ones.

Breaking Out on His Own

Driven by an urge to create and innovate without limitations, Hatvany struck out on his own. Over the years, he established himself as one of the most forward-thinking minds of his generation. His crowning achievement came with the invention of touch-screen technology, a groundbreaking development that transformed the way we interact with devices today. Think about every smartphone, tablet, or interactive screen you use—that wouldn’t exist without the foundation laid by Hatvany’s vision.

But his contributions didn’t stop with technology. As a billionaire investor, he’s guided and funded countless ideas, helping others bring their dreams to life. And as a philanthropist, he’s made a lasting impact, dedicating resources to causes that support education, innovation, and global well-being.

Lessons in Starting Your Own Business

For Hatvany, success required bold moves, perseverance, and smart planning. He’s spoken at length about what it takes to turn an idea into a thriving business. Here are his key lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs:

1. Have the Courage to Start

Hatvany’s decision to leave the corporate world was one of the most pivotal moments in his life. It’s a reminder that taking the first step—even when it’s scary—is essential. You don’t have to have all the answers right away, but you do need the courage to get moving.

2. Create a Clear Business Plan

While creativity is vital, Hatvany emphasizes the importance of strategy. A solid business plan is like a roadmap; it keeps you focused on your goals and helps you attract investors or partners who believe in your vision.

3. Think Differently

Hatvany’s ability to innovate at IBM didn’t come from doing what was obvious. It came from challenging norms and looking at problems from unconventional angles. Entrepreneurs should always ask themselves, “How can this be done better?”

4. Break Free from Limitations

When Hatvany left BP, he left behind the constraints of a rigid system that didn’t suit his creative, entrepreneurial spirit. He encourages others to recognize when a situation, job, or system is holding them back and to make bold moves toward something better.

Why Corporate Life Felt so Limiting

To some, Hatvany’s feelings about corporate life might sound extreme. After all, the corporate world often provides stability, structure, and predictable career progression. But for Hatvany, it felt deeply stifling. He longed for freedom to innovate, to challenge the rules, and to build projects from scratch. These were things a traditional corporate role simply couldn’t offer him.

Corporate environments often prioritize maintaining the status quo over fostering out-of-the-box thinkers. That’s why Hatvany’s decision to leave BP was so significant. It was a rejection of mediocrity and a leap toward a life that aligned with his talents and ambitions.

Final Thoughts

Bela Hatvany’s story is a testament to the power of taking risks, trusting your instincts, and believing in your potential. Through his invention of the touch-screen, his groundbreaking work at IBM, and his enduring philanthropic efforts, he’s shown the world what’s possible when you’re willing to leave the familiar behind and chase something bigger.

Whether you’re dreaming of starting your own business, inventing technology that changes lives, or simply breaking free from a life that feels too restrictive, Hatvany’s trailblazing path offers inspiration. His legacy reminds us all that the key to success often lies in daring to take the first step into the unknown.

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