Mike DeLazzer, founder of GetAMovie Inc., the business that developed the Redbox kiosk, told a crowd of young entrepreneurs Thursday they would all have one thing in common during their careers — failure.

During his talk at Louisiana State U., DeLazzer told students not to be discouraged by those who say their business aspirations are doomed.

“Pay no attention to these people,” DeLazzer said.

DeLazzer’s speech was centered on the theme of never giving up, regardless of circumstances. Nearly every businessman goes bankrupt at some point, DeLazzer said, including himself. Before he found success, he once was $85,000 in debt.

“You are going to fail,” DeLazzer said. “If I fail, if I fall down, I will get right back up and start something else.”

DeLazzer recalled a time in 2004 when the third-generation Redbox machine was being presented to potential investors. When Redbox’s moment came, the machine refused to work correctly, so DeLazzer had 24 hours to get the machine working properly.

“A feeling of hope and utter relief came over me in an instant, like I have never felt before,” DeLazzer said. “And then a wave of total fear.”

Over the next 24 hours, DeLazzer and his team tried to fix all of the drivers that made the machine function. Using a webcam, they showed the drivers to their software engineers in India. In North Carolina, 10 programmers watched the drivers perform their functions. Throughout the night, they worked tirelessly to repair the machine, he said.

Finishing in the nick of time, DeLazzer and his team performed in 24 hours a process that would normally take two weeks. When the time came, the machine worked correctly, DeLazzer said.

Today, Redbox has 35,000 locations in 50 states.

Kenny Nguyen, LSU business junior and CEO and partner of Big Fish presentations, said it’s important for young entrepreneurs to start early.

“Be hungry,” Nguyen said.

DeLazzer said he didn’t have much to help him when he first started in the world of business.

“I was totally in the wilderness,” DeLazzer said. “It was all trial and error, and there were no connections.”

But DeLazzer said starting a business career in college has its advantages. He said because students have very little money to start with, they don’t have too far to fall if their business fails.

Mark Goodson, founder of Me and My Dad Books, a company that specializes in personalized children’s books, said bringing successful business leaders to speak about their experiences is invaluable.

“When I graduated from LSU in ‘95, there was not a huge focus [on entrepreneurship], where today it’s a huge focus,” said Goodson.

DeLazzer warned students that entrepreneurship is riddled with sleepless nights and long hours, but the end result is “a life so richly lived.”

“You only lose when you stop trying,” he said.