CT's Message to Those Who Want to Become Entrepreneurs: Create Opportunities

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Founder & Chairman CT Corp Chairul Tanjung (CT) spoke as a speaker in an education class during Jogja Financial Festival at the Jogja Expo Center, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, on Saturday (23 May 2026). Attending as speakers alongside CT was Hery Gunardi, President Director of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. (BBRI).

According to CT, an entrepreneur is someone who can see, seize, and create opportunities.

“Well, the question is, if we look at opportunities and there are none, what do we seize? Create opportunities. So the principle of entrepreneurship is to be able to see opportunities and to seize them,” he said.

“If there are no opportunities, you must be able to create opportunities. That is what we call an entrepreneur. If someone can talk and says, ‘this is a good opportunity’, but cannot seize it, then that person is a consultant,” he continued.

However, CT said the opportunities taken do not guarantee success because they can also fail.

“So, what is the most fundamental principle, underline this among all of you who want to be genuine entrepreneurs? The most fundamental principle is that failure is a learning process. Yes, a learning process,” he said.

Therefore, according to CT, if we experience failure, then ask oneself about the causes of the failure. The hope is that the failure will not recur.

Moreover, CT said, wise people always say that failure is an opportunity or delayed success if the person involved is willing to learn from failure. If they are not willing to learn from failure, then it becomes delayed failure.

“So yesterday Mr. Dony (Head of BP BUMN/COO Danantara Indonesia Dony Oskaria) had already told a story. Often fail? Oh, not often anymore. That’s right, I’ve mastered failure. Ever been cheated? Not never, often cheated,” CT said.

“Therefore if someone from afar tries to cheat me, I have already seen it. ‘Oh this person is trying to cheat me.’ Because I have become so experienced. From the way people walk we can already tell. That is roughly it,” the former Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs said.