“My mother used to say: compete only with yourself. And I am a very strong opponent. I will have to defeat myself.”
— Oskar Hartmann
Oskar Hartmann, from his speeches and interviews. One of his most cited personal principles, rooted in his mother's teaching during his childhood in Kazakhstan.
In the early 2000s, when I launched my first business in Germany, many people around me were smarter, richer and more experienced. I felt pressure to prove myself to everyone. Then I remembered what my mother told me when I was young: compete only with yourself. That day I understood something simple. If every day you become a little stronger than yesterday, sooner or later you win. That rule has never failed me.