Created in 1989 by Scott Adams, a former bank employee, “Dilbert” has become one of the world’s most popular comic strips for its satirical handling of office culture, workplace politics, and more. When I say “more”, I really do mean it. The themes section of the Dilbert Wikipedia page lists 28 commonly explored themes in the strip.

Business Advice Found in Dilbert Comics

Dilbert has long served as a tool for commentary about issues facing many white collar office workers in America. However, the broad reach of the strip has found audiences across professional boundaries and countries. After 25 years, Dilbert has touched on nearly every aspect of corporate culture. As a result, there are more than a few valuable lessons to learn from Scott Adams and his wild cast of characters.

Understand What You Need for Success

Almost everyone has a business idea they believe can make big money. Unfortunately, few people realize just how much it takes to get that idea off the ground. Before you start recruiting employees and spending money on your idea, it’s important to take an honest look at the path to success. Do you have the skills to succeed? Can you hire the right workforce? The successful entrepreneur plans. Everyone else is bound to fail.

Act Quickly Or Get Left Behind

This particular comic debuted in September 1999 at the height of the original “dot-com bubble”. Companies specializing in internet commerce and various tech solutions were raising millions, sometimes billions, helping to develop the infrastructure that powers the modern world. Of course, a few companies also lost spectacular amounts of money. Scott Adams recognized the rise of internet companies and the eagerness of outsiders to invest. In this comic, the boss’s lack of understanding lead to a missed opportunity.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Any comic dealing with lemonade is going to appeal to us for obvious reasons. This early Dilbert comic plays on the classic “lemons to lemonade” concept. We see, in this comic, a common trope in much of Dilbert: entitled characters expressing anger when they don’t get what they believe they deserve. Successful entrepreneurs (and people) understand they won’t always get everything they want.