As we start another month, it's always a good idea to pump yourself up a little. These quotes from lesser-known entrepreneurs (e.g., not Mark Cuban or Richard Branson) offer some insight into starting a company. They can serve as some motivation for your day.

1. "How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top." Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia

2. "I don't care if you succeed or fail, if you are Bill Gates or an unknown entrepreneur who gave everything to make it work but didn't manage to pull through. The important distinction is whether you risked everything, put your life on the line, made commitments to investors, employees, customers and friends, and tried--against all the forces in the world that try to keep new ideas down--to make something new." Chris Dixon, the co-founder Hunch

3. "Making the decision to not follow a system, or someone else's rules has allowed me to really dig into what my own strengths and gifts are without spending time feeling jaded or wasteful." Ishita Gupta, the founder of Fear.less Magazine

4. "People don't take opportunities because the timing is bad, the financial side unsecure. Too many people are overanalyzing. Sometimes you just have to go for it." Michelle Zatly, the co-founder CloudFlare

5. "I wish I had spent more time reading and weighing the pros and cons of various philosophies instead of just jumping in and doing what I thought was morally and financially sensible." Jason Cohen, the founder SmartBear Software

6. "Be undeniably good. No marketing effort or social media buzzword can be a substitute for that." Anthony Volodkin, the founder of The Hype Machine

7. "No more romanticizing about how cool it is to be an entrepreneur. It's a struggle to save your company's life--and your own skin--every day of the week." Spencer Fry, the co-founder of CarbonMade

8. "You just have to pay attention to what people need and what has not been done." Russell Simmons, the founder of Def Jam

9. "In a lot of ways, it's not the money that allows you to do new things. It's the growth and the ability to find things that people want and to use your creativity to target those." Travis Kalanick, the founder of Red Swoosh and a co-founder of Uber

10. "Wonder what your customer really wants? Ask. Don't tell." Lisa Stone, the co-founder and CEO of BlogHer

11. "Openly share and talk to people about your idea. Use their lack of interest or doubt to fuel your motivation to make it happen." Todd Garland, the founder of BuySellAds

12. "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." Erica Nicole, the founder of YFS Magazine

13. "Think big. I never think big enough. Be audacious. Imagine deals people around you think will never happen. Believe." Josh James, the founder of Domo and Omniture

14. "Patience, drive and very little fear." Jack Nickell, the co-founder of Threadless, describing what it takes to start a company

15. "You have to be ready for hard work and frugal spending to get the idea off the ground." Garrett Camp, a co-founder Uber and the founder of Stumbleupon and Expa