‘Sweat Equity Goes So Much Further Than Anything Else,’ Says Mark Cuban, But Most People Aren’t Willing to Do the Work

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Billionaire investor Mark Cuban has spent decades building companies, investing in startups and helping entrepreneurs through the hit TV show “Shark Tank.” Yet when he’s asked what separates successful founders from everyone else, his answer is surprisingly straightforward: “Do the work.”

“Sweat equity goes so much further than anything else,” Cuban said in a 2016 interview with eWomenNetwork. “Most people, you know, they’re not willing to do the work.”

Ideas Are Easy. Execution Is Hard

Cuban believes that too many aspiring entrepreneurs spend their time talking about great ideas instead of actually building something. They’ll get positive feedback from friends, dream about future success and imagine what life could be like if everything works out.

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What they often don’t do, he says, is make the sacrifices necessary to get there.

“This great idea, let’s go have a beer,” Cuban said. “This great idea, let’s go to a movie.”

Instead, he argues that building a successful business requires giving something up.

“No, you’re gonna have to give something up to start a successful company,” he said in the interview.  “It just doesn’t come to you, you’ve got to go get it, you’ve got to put in the time, you’ve got to put in the effort.”

Cuban also pushes back on one of the most common pieces of career advice: follow your passion.

“Passion is the biggest lie to every entrepreneur,” he said. “All of us are passionate about something, and just because you get passionate about something that you can start a business in, doesn’t mean it’s a good business.”

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Cuban’s advice is to focus on where you’re willing to put in sustained effort. Over time, the work itself often reveals what you’re truly passionate about.

“Don’t follow your dreams. Follow your effort,” he said in the interview. “The harder you work at something, the better you are. The better you are, the better chance you have of success.”

Customers Matter More Than Investors

Cuban has also warned entrepreneurs against becoming obsessed with raising money.

According to him, too many founders believe fundraising is the first step toward building a company. In reality, getting customers should come first.

“The only reason I’m a billionaire is because I started off bootstrapping,” Cuban told Inc.com Editor In Chief Mike Hofman at the 2025 Clover x Shark Tank Summit. “So many people get caught up [thinking] ‘I have to raise money.’ No, you have to get customers.”

Growing slowly while maintaining ownership can be a much better outcome than giving away large chunks of a company too early. The longer founders can build organically, Cuban says, the stronger their position becomes.

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He also offered a reminder for entrepreneurs who do raise money: “Raising money is not an accomplishment, it’s an obligation.”

For investors, Cuban’s focus on execution over hype is a useful lens for evaluating opportunities. That’s one reason people are paying attention to Immersed, a company operating in AI, spatial computing and productivity software. The company says more than 1.5 million users have already spent the equivalent of roughly 2,000 cumulative years working inside its platform. That means people are using the product extensively today, not just talking about what it could become tomorrow.

Immersed is building software, hardware and AI tools around that user activity and counts major technology partners, including Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Samsung and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM). You can now buy shares for $0.79 each while the current funding round remains open.

Read Next: Explore Jeff Bezos-backed Arrived Homes and see how investors are earning passive rental income — now with a limited-time 1% bonus match for new investors.

Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market

Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.

Arrived

Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.

FarmTogether

Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.

Fundrise

Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.

Realberry

Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U.S. states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests.

Immersed

Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.

BluSky AI

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is creating significant demand for data centers, power, and compute infrastructure. BluSky AI is building modular AI data centers designed to support next-generation AI workloads while aiming to reduce deployment timelines compared to traditional facilities. For investors looking beyond AI software and applications, the company offers exposure to the infrastructure layer that makes artificial intelligence possible.

ARK7

Residential real estate has historically provided investors with income potential and long-term appreciation, but direct ownership can be expensive and time-consuming. ARK7 enables investors to buy fractional shares of rental properties, offering access to potential rental income and real estate exposure without property management responsibilities. By lowering the barrier to entry, the platform gives investors another way to diversify beyond traditional stocks and bonds.

Miso Robotics

Robotics and automation are becoming increasingly important tools for businesses facing labor shortages and rising operating costs. Miso Robotics develops AI-powered kitchen technology that is already being deployed in restaurant environments, with products designed to help operators improve efficiency and streamline operations. As artificial intelligence expands beyond software and into real-world applications, the company is positioning itself at the intersection of robotics, automation and the future of food service.

Vinovest 

Fine wine and rare whiskey have historically moved independently of the stock market, making them a compelling alternative asset. Vinovest manages authenticated, insured portfolios of investment-grade wine and whiskey starting at $5,000 — sourcing, storage, and insurance all handled for you.

EquityMultiple 

For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process. 

Mode Mobile

Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream. 

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