When someone mentions tech entrepreneurs many of you may gravitate to big names like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg and while their achievements are to be applauded and their thinking is no doubt revolutionary they're not really the ones who I go to for advice. 

As an entrepreneur myself I know that running a startup isn't all its cracked up to me, there is no glits, no glamour and no glory, its all about the day to day grind and keeping things going. It can be tough, it can be frustrating but it can also be loads of fun and hugely rewarding watching something you've built come to life.

If you're planning on putting together a startup project in the tech field it's important to do your research and gravitate to others who have done it before. Simply listen, copy what they did and do it or do it better. There is no silver bullet to this league and success only comes from graft and hard work. 

When I started working for myself I looked for content from guys who were in my position, guys who told it like it is, guys who didn't have it all figured out and I found 3 stories that resonated with me. Strangely enough, all 3 of them are tech entrepreneurs who were immigrants that moved to America to create their fortunes and reshape the future.

I'm always on the lookout for their latest content, what they are doing and how they think and see the world. When I listen to what they have to say I'm always pumped, rejuvenated and ready to go once again to take the next step in my journey. 

So who are they?

## 1. Chamath Palihapitiya

Chamath Palihapitiya is a venture capitalist. He was born in Sri Lanka, raised in Canada, and has worked for much of his life in Silicon Valley. Palihapitiya is an owner and board member of the Golden State Warriors.

**One of my favourite interviews with Chamath:**

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PMotykw0SIk" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## 2. Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk is a Belarusian American entrepreneur, author, speaker and internet personality. First known as a wine critic who grew his family’s wine business from $3 million to $60 million

**One of my favourite speeches by Gary V:**

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W5Yst1Si3fw" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## 3. Elon Musk

Elon Reeve Musk is a South African-born Canadian American business magnate, investor, and engineer. He is the founder, CEO, and lead designer of SpaceX; co-founder, CEO, and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; and co-founder and CEO of Neuralink.

**One of my favourite interviews with Elon:**

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zIwLWfaAg-8" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## Who inspires you? 

So steemians who do you look to for inspiration? Be it art, sport, science, writing icon or anyone you find fascinating. Let me know and share your story with me in the comments. I would love to hear all about it

## Stay in touch 

For more on tech and business news follow me @chekohler