For Brent C.J. Britton, a seasoned entrepreneur and legal expert, the road to success has been paved with innovation, a restless pursuit of new ideas, and a steadfast commitment to helping others navigate the often turbulent waters of entrepreneurship. As head of the corporate group at Bochner PLLC and a minority co-founder of several tech startups, Brent has spent years working at the intersection of law, technology, and business. But it’s his passion for entrepreneurship, coupled with an ethos of making the world a better place, that truly sets him apart.
In an engaging conversation, Brent shared candid insights on the entrepreneurial mindset, the challenges that come with innovation, and how he’s leveraging his diverse skill set to guide others.
The Entrepreneurial Mindset: A Restless Pursuit of Change
At the core of Brent’s philosophy is a belief that entrepreneurs are wired differently. “The entrepreneurial mindset tends to be a restless mindset,” Brent explains. “You might be an entrepreneur if you find yourself looking around at the status quo and don’t find it satisfactory.” For Brent, this dissatisfaction with the way things are fuels a relentless drive to find better, faster, more efficient ways of doing things.
But it’s not just about ideas or innovation—it’s about courage. “You have to be willing to stand out from the crowd and be the weirdo by damning the torpedoes and doing the weird thing,” he adds, likening entrepreneurs to “mad scientists” who are willing to embrace risks that most people shy away from.
This mindset has been a defining feature of Brent’s career. From his early ventures in technology law to his current involvement in multiple startups, he’s always been motivated by a desire to push boundaries and question the status quo. “We’re the first people out there, doing the untested and the unproven,” he says. “So figuring out how to get it done right is difficult, but that’s what makes it exciting.”
From Idea to Execution: The Importance of Market Validation
One of the key lessons Brent has learned in his entrepreneurial journey is the critical importance of market validation. While many entrepreneurs fall in love with their ideas, Brent stresses the need for a scientific approach to determining whether those ideas have real market potential. “You need to approach entrepreneurship with a scientific mindset,” he advises. “It’s not about thinking, ‘I’ve got the best thing since sliced bread.’ You need data.”
He emphasizes that the true test of an idea is not whether the entrepreneur loves it but whether customers are willing to pay for it. “Go out and talk to a thousand people, and if they swipe their credit card, then you know you’ve got something,” Brent explains.
Brent candidly admits that he’s learned this lesson the hard way. “I’ve had a number of great ideas in the past where I formed the company, brought in co-founders, and invested time and resources, only to find that the market wasn’t interested.” These experiences taught him the importance of testing assumptions early and often—before investing too heavily in a concept.
Resilience in the Face of Failure: Embracing Setbacks as Part of the Process
For Brent, resilience is not just a trait but a necessity for any entrepreneur. “You’ve got to embrace failure as a possibility,” he says. “Entrepreneurship is okay if you’re a perfectionist, but along the path to perfection, you’re going to blow it a lot.”
This willingness to fail and learn from mistakes is what sets successful entrepreneurs apart. “You’re going to get knocked down, and you have to be willing to get back up again,” Brent reflects. “And the hard part is that after you’ve been bruised a few times, it’s easy to become overly conservative and not try again.”
Yet, for Brent, the key to maintaining that resilience is a balance between practicality and childlike wonder. “You need to keep enough gas in the tank—financially and emotionally—but you also need to maintain a sense of playful detachment from the outcome,” he explains. “You tried, you failed—so what? It’s all part of the show.”
Building Sustainable Success: The Human Side of Entrepreneurship
While profit and ROI are fundamental goals for any entrepreneur, Brent believes there’s more to the story. His perspective has evolved over the years to include a strong emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility. “I want to make the world a better place,” Brent says. “When you’re pitching investors, it’s about making money, sure—but it also helps if you’re not making the world a worse place.”
In his view, the responsibility of an entrepreneur extends beyond their bottom line. “As business people, we bear a responsibility to society,” he explains. “We owe it to the people who work for us to help them live fulfilling lives, and we owe it to the world to leave it better than we found it.”
This focus on the human side of entrepreneurship is something Brent applies in his own businesses. “I don’t do employee reviews where I tell people what they did wrong,” he says. “I ask them if they’re happy, if they want to improve themselves, if they want to learn something new. It’s about helping them be the best version of themselves.”
Looking to the Future: AI, Innovation, and Ethical Entrepreneurship
As Brent looks ahead to the future of his businesses and the broader entrepreneurial landscape, he’s particularly interested in the role of artificial intelligence (AI). “AI is going to change everything,” he predicts. “It will do most of the knowledge work in civilization, and we need to be prepared for that.”
Two of Brent’s current startups are in the AI space, and while he’s excited about the potential for innovation, he’s also aware of the ethical implications. “There’s a sustainability concern with AI,” he notes. “We’re on the cusp of a tectonic shift in how civilization works, and we need to be mindful of the impact we’re having.”
For Brent, the goal is to ensure that AI and other technologies are used responsibly. “We need to be the people who are doing it right,” he says. “If you’re going to change the world, do it in a way that makes it better, not worse.”
Final Thoughts: Writing Your Own Script
For aspiring entrepreneurs, Brent’s advice is simple but profound: “This is your life—don’t let someone else write the script.” He encourages entrepreneurs to take risks, embrace failure, and pursue their passions with a sense of playful detachment. “At the end of the day, it’s all part of the show,” he says. “So enjoy the ride, and don’t be afraid to take the lead in your own story.”
Brent’s journey, filled with innovation, resilience, and a commitment to doing good, serves as a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship is as much about personal growth as it is about business success. His insights offer valuable lessons for anyone looking to make their mark in the world of business while staying true to their values.
Connect with Brent on LinkedIn
