5 Lessons in Entrepreneurship We Learned From The Young Ones on Fortune’s ‘40 Under 40’ List

 For those of us who are on the younger side in our respective industries, it can feel like attaining measurable success is extremely far in the future. 

However, thanks to Fortune Magazine and its ‘40 Under 40’ List, we are reminded that really, anything is possible. Each year, Fortune publishes a list of 40 individuals in the entrepreneurial space that it considers to be the most influential, disruptive, innovative and inspirational in the industry; and whom we can all learn a thing or two from.

Here are five lessons we learned in entrepreneurship from the individuals in Fortune’s ‘40 Under 40’ List, who are disrupting the norm and excelling at a young age:

1. Find a way to disrupt your industry.

Consumers are continuously shying away from unhealthy and sugary beverages as they seek out healthier lifestyles. As a result, big beverage brands—most of which are carbonated soft drink brands—have had to rethink their strategies and launch products tailored to this new consumer shift.

Bubly, a sparkling water brand of PepsiCo, is the perfect example of an established company finding a way to disrupt the industry. In less than a year, Bubly grew to more than $100 million in sales, quickly becoming one of the biggest players in the category. A lot of Bubly’s success is attributed to its Director of Marketing, 39-year-old Marisa Bartning, who, along with a team of very talented individuals, launched a TV campaign during the Academy Awards and followed that with Super Bowl ads featuring Michael Bublé. 

2. The future is smart… and artificial.

Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm. As AI technology continues to evolve, experts are predicting that it will steadily become more present in consumers’ day-to-day lives.

You know the infamous “Alexa” from Amazon? Well, meet Alison. Alison Atwell, 31, is the voice user interface (VUI) designer who is in charge of “training” Alexa. Alison works with companies to build Alexa-interfaced products, all starting with a foundation of sharing information and tailoring Alexa’s responses to company needs. Instead of just “creating magic words for Alexa to say,” Alison focuses on facilitating natural interactions between the technology and the human being interacting with it. 

3. Consumers care about sustainability and the environment.

From paper straws to reusable water bottles and coffee cups—and now wool shoes— consumers are now upping the ante when it comes to caring about the environment and implementing sustainability into their everyday lives. 

Allbirds founders Tim Brown, 38, and Joey Zwillinger, 38, realized the consumer investment in sustainability and the environment and created a line of wool shoes. Allbirds’ emphasis on product construction by natural materials like merino wool and eucalyptus fiber has contributed to the staying power of the brand, which has grown from a purely online offering to brick-and-mortar locations based on its enormous success. The low-carbon-footprint brand certainly hit the mark with sustainable consumers as Allbirds has reached an estimated valuation of $1.4 billion. 

4. Fitness is no longer just a workout, it’s an experience.

Gone are the days of heading to the gym and solitarily doing a series of sets on a rotation of machines or running on a treadmill for a set amount of time. Modern consumers crave an experience with their workout, one that’s going to motivate them to work hard but also one that they enjoy. 

That’s where Peloton comes in—the luxury exercise bike that allows the user to stream a continuous supply of high-energy fitness classes from the comfort of their own home. Peloton sells for more than $2,000 a bike and has recently capitvated the social media world, particularly on Twitter. COO and co-founder Tom Cortese, 39, is involved with everything from product design to supply chain to customer satisfaction. Peloton has been able to achieve a valuation of almost $4 billion thanks to its ability to provide the boutique fitness experience in-home, complete with a tightly connected community of riders, coaches and a content stream that never seems to run dry. 

5. Esports leagues are the next big thing.

Esports, a new form of sports competition through video games, has the potential to become the top-grossing major sports league in the world—the industry is now valued at $1.1 billion due to advertising, sponsorship and media rights revenue, and is projected to continue to rise in valuation in the years ahead. 

Johanna Faries, 37, heads Activision Blizzard, a major Esports league built around the mega-popular first-person shooter game Call of Duty. Activision Blizzard is now valued at almost $1.4 billion. In a company press release, Activision contended that since the start of this year, “the game has generated more revenue than the Marvel Cinematic Universe in box office sales.” The company even has franchises set to open in 2020 in Atlanta, Dallas, New York City, Paris and Toronto.