By the end of 1978, we had 11 partners and six franchisees, we

When Tom Golisano said, “By the end of 1978, we had 11 partners and six franchisees, we were operating in 22 cities, and we had about 6,000 clients. We had left Electronic Accounting Systems and were doing our own processing on our own computers,” he was not merely recounting a milestone in business growth. He was revealing the ancient rhythm of creation itself—the moment when a dream, nurtured in obscurity, begins to take on the weight and glory of reality. Behind the numbers lies a story of vision, courage, and independence—the moment a man chooses to trust his own hands more than the safety of another’s system.

In the world of commerce, as in the world of the spirit, there comes a time when the apprentice must part from the master, when the seed must break free from the soil. Golisano’s company, once dependent on Electronic Accounting Systems, reached such a moment. To “do their own processing on their own computers” was not just a technical decision—it was an act of self-determination. It was a declaration that they had grown strong enough to carry their own weight, to build their own path, to stand without borrowed tools. This moment mirrors the transformation every creator must undergo: the crossing from dependence to mastery.

The year was 1978—a time when computers were still mysterious, cumbersome machines, far from the sleek devices of today. Yet Golisano saw in them not confusion, but opportunity. To invest in computers, to handle his own systems, required faith—faith in innovation, and faith in his team’s ability to shape the unknown. In this, he stands among the pioneers of the digital age, men and women who looked at new technology not with fear, but with the gleam of possibility. It was the dawn of a new era in business, when the power of automation and information began to rewrite the rules of enterprise.

His journey echoes the story of Henry Ford, who once depended on others for automobile parts until he built his own manufacturing process. Ford realized, as Golisano did, that control over production means control over destiny. Both men turned tools into empires by daring to own their process. It is a truth that resounds through every age: true power is born when one ceases to rely on another’s machinery and builds one’s own. Whether in art, science, or trade, the spirit of independence is the fire that transforms craftsmen into creators.

But Golisano’s words also speak to something deeper—the unity of vision and perseverance. To reach 22 cities and 6,000 clients in a few short years required not only intelligence but endurance, the kind that comes from believing in one’s purpose even when the world doubts it. Success, he reminds us, is not a single triumph but the accumulation of a thousand small acts of faith. It is waking each day to work on what others cannot yet see, and trusting that time will reveal the worth of your labor.

In his declaration lies a warning to the complacent: do not let comfort rob you of creation. Many remain forever “under another’s system,” unwilling to step into the unknown. Yet progress belongs to the brave—to those who, like Golisano, leave the safety of the familiar to build something of their own. Independence always begins as struggle, but it ends as freedom. And freedom, once claimed, multiplies—11 partners become 22 cities, 22 cities become 6,000 clients, and from a single act of courage, a legacy is born.

So let the tale of Tom Golisano stand as a modern parable for every dreamer and builder. Do not fear to depart from the known when the time comes. Trust the tools of your age, but let your heart guide their use. Innovation without soul is machinery; vision without courage is mere fantasy. But when purpose, skill, and daring unite, new worlds are made.

Final Lesson: Greatness begins when you stop depending on others’ systems and dare to create your own.
Practical Actions: Learn the tools of your craft until they are second nature. When ready, step beyond imitation and take ownership of your work. Build your independence one decision at a time. For the moment you take responsibility for your own process, you not only build a business—you build your destiny.