Creating Something From Nothing – Prince, Steve Jobs and the Hidden Soul of Entrepreneurship

"Real music comes from the heart. It's not about formulas or machines. It's about creating something from nothing."
– Prince

When Prince said these words, he was talking about music – but he was also describing the essence of true entrepreneurship. Because creating something from nothing isn’t just an artistic process. It’s an existential act. A powerful manifestation of thought into reality. And that’s exactly what every entrepreneur does.

The modern image of entrepreneurship often revolves around growth, investments, market shares, and “scaling up.” But at its core – beyond pitch decks and KPIs – it’s about this:

Daring to see what doesn’t yet exist.
To shape it from emptiness.
To give it life.

Let’s begin with Prince. Then we’ll weave in Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Sara Blakely and others who also created their worlds from “nothingness” – and why their stories are more relevant than ever in an age where many believe AI or capital are the only ingredients needed.

Prince: The Artist Who Was His Own Ecosystem

Prince wasn’t just a musician. He was a producer, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, businessman, stage designer, fashion icon, and above all – a relentless creator. He built songs from scratch. Recorded every instrument himself. Mixed them himself. Released music through his own labels when the industry tried to control him.

He refused to follow the formula.
He became the formula.

Prince didn’t need public approval to create. He created anyway. Just like an entrepreneur working from a kitchen table, a garage, or a café with an idea the world doesn’t yet understand – but one that burns so strongly inside that it must become real.

He didn’t follow a path. He carved one.

Steve Jobs: The Entrepreneur Who Thought Like an Artist

Another icon who spoke of creating from nothing was Steve Jobs.
His quote has become legendary:

“Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you… and you can build your own things.”

Jobs fused technology with aesthetics. He wasn’t an engineer. He was a visionary. His strength lay in seeing the future before it arrived – and having the courage to demand perfection. He saw usability as an art form. Just as Prince heard nuances in music others didn’t, Jobs saw details others missed in product design.

They were different – but deeply connected.
Both built their own worlds.
Both knew that to create something true, you have to be brave.

The Difference Between Building and Copying

In a world where much of today’s innovation is based on copying, improving, and refining – these figures stand apart. Prince created new sounds. Jobs created new behaviors.

They didn’t just improve what existed.
They started with a blank canvas.

And that’s why their creations still feel so alive today. They don’t just work – they carry meaning. Emotion. Courage.

Here lies a crucial lesson for modern entrepreneurs:
Creating something from nothing is not just about building a product – it’s about transmitting a feeling, a purpose, a worldview.

Creating Without Permission – Or Budget

Sara Blakely, founder of SPANX, started with $5,000, no connections, and no knowledge of the apparel industry. She sold fax machines by day and worked on her idea by night.

She didn’t invent underwear. She redefined it – from a female perspective the industry had ignored.

She created something that didn’t exist.
And she did it without anyone telling her “go.”

Just like Prince. Just like Jobs.

The Entrepreneur as Alchemist

Creating from nothing requires a mix of naivety and persistence. You have to be foolish enough to believe it’s possible – and smart enough to figure out how to make it real. You must resist advice, trends, and comfort.

A true entrepreneur is an alchemist:
Turning emptiness into meaning.
Chaos into structure.
Questions into answers.

There’s no script. Only willpower.

Passion Is Not Optional

Prince created music every day. Not because he had to. But because he couldn’t not do it.
Jobs was obsessed with product details – not because anyone demanded it, but because it was the only thing he wanted to do.
Musk bet his entire fortune on rockets and electric cars when the world laughed at him – not because it was safe, but because he believed in it.

You must burn. Otherwise, you’ll quit.

Creating something from nothing requires inner pressure. A force that refuses to be silenced. It’s not logical. It’s existential.

And What About AI?

In an age where AI generates texts, images, business plans, and even code – it’s easy to think creativity has been automated. But what Prince and Jobs did can never be replicated. Not because AI isn’t powerful – but because it lacks the drive, emotion, and purpose behind creation.

AI can write a song.
But it doesn’t know why it’s being written.

You, the entrepreneur, do know why.
And that’s your superpower.

Creating Without Safety

Most people wait for the right timing. For funding. For market validation.
But Prince went into the studio anyway.
Jobs sketched the future even after Apple fired him.
Sara Blakely sold her product before it even existed.

Safety is an illusion.
What you do have is your vision, drive, and willingness to act. The rest follows.

Entrepreneurship as an Art Form

When we strip away the numbers, the quarterly reports, and the templates – what remains is a simple truth: Entrepreneurship is an art form. It’s about creating what the world cannot yet articulate.

It’s stepping into the unknown, shaping it, and presenting it to others – before they even knew they wanted it.

It’s like Prince, hearing sounds that didn’t yet exist.
Like Jobs, seeing what hadn’t taken shape.
Like you, believing in something before anyone else does.

What to do?: Create Anyway

You might not have the right timing.
You might not have the resources.
You might not know exactly how.

But you have the idea.
You have the fire.
And that’s enough.

So lean into Prince’s words:
“It’s about creating something from nothing.”

And create anyway.