Massive business success is often glamorized or oversimplified, but those who’ve achieved it know it rarely follows a straight path. From the belief that success requires constant hustle to the myth that talent alone determines achievement, misconceptions about what it really takes to succeed abound in every industry.
The truth is, sustainable success looks different for everyone — and it’s often built on balance, failure and authenticity. Here, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share the most common myths they’ve heard about success and explain why those assumptions don’t hold up in the real world.
‘Success Comes From Working Harder at Conventional Strategies’
A common myth is that success comes from working harder and doing things the way the market has always done them. But real breakthroughs come from original thinking, intellectual curiosity and widening the aperture of how you understand the business or the market. Convention might keep you in the pack, but it will not create new lanes to deliver better results. – Bill Hobbs, Vector
‘Travel Photography Success Requires Exotic Locations’
Myth: Success in travel photography requires exotic destinations. Truth: Impactful storytelling trumps location. Authentic, relatable images from any setting can resonate deeply. With AI tools enhancing editing, success hinges on unique perspectives and emotional connection, not just far-flung adventures. Local stories can captivate as much as global ones. – Mark Paulda, Mark Paulda & Co
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‘You Need a Brand-New Idea to Succeed’
People often think success or innovation requires a brand-new idea. In my experience, it’s more about problem detection and pattern recognition — spotting common attributes across seemingly different problems. Top innovators borrow, adapt and reapply proven ideas from one domain to another in ways that create fresh impact. Progress isn’t about novelty, but courage and curiosity to reimagine what works. – Lisa McClung, Motiv Power Systems
‘Moral Rightness Will Bring Success to a Nonprofit’
In the nonprofit world, the belief that the moral rightness of the work will inherently lead to sufficient funding is a deeply damaging myth. In reality, people give to causes they’ve heard of and causes they feel connected to. A donor can’t give to something they don’t know about, so nonprofits must do the hard work of building relationships and telling their story in meaningful, impactful ways. – Jed Brewer, Good Loud Media
‘Chase Google Updates to Succeed in SEO’
A myth is that chasing Google updates wins the SEO game. Not true! Long-term success (and peace of mind) comes from consistently feeding a convincing brand narrative to Google, ChatGPT and other AI assistive engines. Once they understand who you are, what you do and who you serve, convince them you are the best in the market. They will consistently recommend you to the subset of their users who are your audience. – Jason Barnard, Kalicube
‘Success Is an Individual Achievement’
Many people believe success is an individual achievement. I think success comes from those around you winning. That may mean different things to different people, so take time to understand what success means to people you work closely with and help them achieve that. – Chris Eggers, CC Security Solutions
