The Olympic Games are unparalleled in their ability to break down barriers. Here are four ways that athletes follow an entrepreneurial path to achieve greatness.

Some dads are great at tennis. Some dads are great at the piano. My dad is an incredible entrepreneur -- to say the least.

Any venture, whether commercial or philanthropic, should aim at improving the lives of as many people as possible. Both should use technological tools to overcome infrastructure barriers and build scale. And both must be self-sustaining to be truly successful.

You don't need to have breakthrough vision to launch your company -- you need to have breakthrough execution.

In a struggling economic climate, failure is what separates mediocre companies from businesses that break through and astound us with their creativity.