Our CEO, Ryan Westwood, sat down with colleague Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign—a cloud-based solution for streamlining agreements—and highlighted five takeaways from the conversation for entrepreneurs in his latest Forbes article. Ryan and Dan are both entrepreneurs in the competitive tech industry. They put their years of entrepreneurial experience together to identify five ways aspiring entrepreneurs can make sure they distinguish themselves from the competition. Catch the highlights below or read the full article here!

1.Have a formula for consistently hiring exceptional people

“The reality is that every hire counts when building a successful company; even one bad apple can taint the company culture of a startup. Dan believes the key is to develop a formula for consistently hiring exceptional people.” — Ryan Westwood

2. Be able to articulate in a few words what sets your company apart

“Many young entrepreneurs clam up when challenged to articulate their bottom-line message. They ramble, they pivot to their lengthy, rehearsed talking points, and they ultimately offer a statement that isn’t memorable and that doesn’t resonate.” — Ryan Westwood

3. Think of yourself as a servant leader

“Dan says he doesn’t go to bed at night until his inbox is clear; he doesn’t want to hold anyone back from moving forward on something—that’s how he commits to being a servant leader every day.” — Ryan Westwood

4. Celebrate victories every day—no matter how small

“To prevent your own mood from tanking and rippling across your company culture, you cannot allow the stresses of the job to get to you; you need to remain relentlessly focused and positive.” — Ryan Westwood

5. Build a rock-solid network of external supporters

“When you’re aiming for the stratosphere, you need a rock-solid network of third-party supporters to get behind your company. These supporters should include investors, business analysts and consultants, industry thought leaders, influencers (on social media and elsewhere), early adopters, consumer reviewers, and media personalities such as columnists and commentators.” — Ryan Westwood

Keep reading more from Ryan Westwood’s blog on Forbes to stay updated on entrepreneurship, corporate culture, and startups!