Common Sense Business from Sean "Diddy" Combs

Forbes' J.J. Colao sits down with Sean "Diddy" Combs to talk about his work with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and his advice for budding business moguls.

Diddy offers plenty of practical, straightforward wisdom in this short interview:

• Bring your knowledge and instincts to bear on a business. 
• Don't be afraid to close your eyes, and dream.  But then open them, and see.
• If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense.
• Common sense is the secret of his success.  
• Be an actual consumer.

His last point is worth elaborating, as it requires leaders and entrepreneurs alike to step outside of themselves and look at things from the point of view of customers.

Diddy asks, What would you want?  How would you want to be serviced?  What do you think is missing in your community, which you can bring?  As paperboy, for example, he knew that homeowners didn't want their newspaper tossed on the lawn.  So he put them between the screen and the door, instead.