Build Like Dell: What It Really Takes to Win Long-Term

Kintsugi Co. | Article Series – Obsession, Grit, and the Game of Scale

Michael Dell didn’t just build a company.

He brawled his way into an industry ruled by titans—IBM, Compaq, HP—and walked away with a legacy that most founders can’t even imagine.

And he didn’t start with money, connections, or pedigree.

He started with obsession, audacity, and what he calls “fanatical focus.”

These 10 raw lessons from Dell’s autobiography don’t just show you how to grow a company—they show you how to build with backbone in a world that often rewards caution over courage.

1. You Might Need a Little Ego to Get Started

“Was I a little full of myself at nineteen? Sure, I was. I think you have to be to do anything important.”

Too many people confuse confidence with arrogance. But the truth?

If you’re going to break into a market, take market share, lead a team, and fight for a better future—you need to believe in yourself beyond reason, especially early on when no one else does.

At Kintsugi, we don’t reward egos for the sake of ego.

But we do expect conviction. If you don’t back yourself, why should anyone else?

2. Growth Is Not Stable. Stop Hoping It Will Be.

“Explosive growth is never about stability.”

This is a warning—and a truth.

Big growth? It’s messy. It’s chaotic. It’s uncomfortable.

There will be restructures, pivots, long nights, near-misses, and entire months where it feels like the wheels are about to fly off.

That’s the nature of scaling something real.

Don’t ask for comfort. Ask for resilience.

3. If You Avoid Failure, You Avoid Mastery

“Many people don’t reach their greatest potential because they fear failure. In avoiding failure, they deprive themselves of a great teacher.”

At Kintsugi, failure isn’t the enemy.

Denial is.

The people who grow the fastest are the ones who ask, “What did this teach me?”—not “How do I hide this?”

Fail publicly. Fail forward. Learn loud.

Because winners don’t just tolerate failure—they study it.

4. The Customer Decides If You Win

“Customers are always the ultimate judge and jury.”

Your sales script, product sheet, and branding don’t matter if the customer doesn’t say yes.

Build your business backwards:

Start with the customer’s pain.

Then earn their trust with clarity, value, and follow-through.

Everything else is just noise.

5. Obsession Leaves No Room for Casual Effort

“My roommate was a member of the US Olympic cycling team… every day, all day, training. He literally just used the room to sleep in.”

This is what high standards look like in motion.

Are you training like the Olympic version of your role?

Are you working the way a future VP, top closer, or owner would?

Because if you’re not preparing like it’s gold medal season—someone else is.

6. Being Underestimated Is a Weapon

“Being underestimated by IBM and Compaq was a powerful motivating force.”

This is for the underdogs. The unproven. The ones nobody saw coming.

If they doubt you—good.

Use it. Don’t argue. Don’t convince.

Just out-execute.

Let your results punch for you.

7. Don’t Wait for Perfect Strategy. Move Fast and Adapt.

“We didn’t build to order because of some genius strategy. We just didn’t have the money to mass-produce… we experimented and improvised our way to success.”

You don’t need perfect vision to start.

You need action, feedback, and the humility to evolve.

Kintsugi Co. thrives on iteration.

We don’t idolize genius. We idolize relentless forward motion.

Start scrappy. Fix fast. Keep moving.

8. Fanatical Focus Isn’t Optional

“If you want to win Olympic gold, you have to be fanatical.”

This isn’t about workaholism.

It’s about intentional intensity.

Focus is a superpower in a distracted world.

So the question is—what are you obsessed with building?

Because the people who rise fastest here?

They’re not casually interested.

They’re possessed.

9. Big Moves Are Made From the Gut

“We were talking about buying back Dell’s stock. $25 billion. I knew in my gut that it was time to make a big move.”

All data. No instinct? You’re slow.

All instinct. No data? You’re reckless.

The magic is in the alignment between gut and logic.

Learn to trust your inner compass—especially when it’s time to go all-in.

10. This Has to Mean More Than Money

“I will care about this company after I’m dead.”
Legacy isn’t built by chasing quarterly goals.
It’s built by caring about what you’re building beyond yourself.

The greats don’t just scale companies.

They leave footprints that future builders walk in.

At Kintsugi Co., we expect every leader to treat this company like something worth protecting—even when no one’s watching.

Final Word: Build With Fire or Don’t Build at All

Matthew McConaughey said it best:

“Michael Dell is the gangster protagonist. Never looking for a fight, but relishing every brawl once he’s in it.”

You don’t have to be loud.

But you do have to be lethal.

Relentless. Focused. Hungry. Adaptable. Obsessed.

If you want to build something that outlives you—you can’t be casual about it.

Let the world underestimate you.

Then go prove them wrong—with results.