TED | Talks | Richard St. John: Secrets of success in 8 words, 3 minutes (video) TED Talks Why do people succeed? Because they're smart? Or lucky? How about: Neither. Richard St. John compacts more than a decade of research into an unmissable 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success. (Hint: Passion, persistence, and pushy mothers help.) Inspired by a chance encounter with a high school student who asked him how to become a success, St. John interviewed more than 500 successful people, then distilled what they told him into eight simple principles. TED Talks Why do people succeed? Is it because they're smart? Or are they just lucky? Neither. Analyst Richard St. John condenses years of interviews into an unmissable 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success. businesscultureeducationentertainmenthappinesspsychologyshorttalktalkstedwork in Public bookmarkswith luckyneitherpeoplerichardsmartsucceedtalkstedby 2 users