Chris Hadfield wasn't just being cute when he decided on the title for his book An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. The Canadian astronaut has told thousands of space stories since returning from the International Space Station (ISS) last May. Telling stories about finding a live snake in the cockpit or being blind during a space walk or living at the bottom of the ocean is good, says Hadfield, "but what really matters is how is this relevant, how does this affect life on Earth."

Read: How Hadfield Got More Than 1 Million Twitter Followers

The life of an astronaut is extreme, but Hadfield believes his experiences have taught him worthwhile lessons that people can apply use in their everyday life. "What I tried to do…was to use the space stories in order to teach life lessons," he says.

So, what lessons can Earth-bound entrepreneurs learn from Hadfield's preparations for space missions?

When entering a new market, don't make ANY assumptions about it

"As an astronaut, if you assume something where you didn't have to, then you will die. You'll go down in flames," says Hadfield. "The way that we [astronauts] are successful in doing something that is life threatening and also unprecedented is to excruciatingly sweat the small stuff in advance."

Whether it's a business model or a rocket launch, Hadfield's approach is to sweat the small stuff. A lot. "Spend the time running simulations and visualizing failure over and over again until you've figured out all of the ways your plan can fail and what you would do under those circumstances in order to succeed," he says.

There is one caveat: don't let anyone else see you sweat. Run through your disaster scenarios in privacy, advises Hadfield. "That way, when you go into a meeting, you're calm and confident because you haven't waited until the actual problem arises before you've started sweating the small stuff."

Hire lucky people

Hadfield has done some hiring in is career. The easiest concrete factor to look at is education and proven track record—how they look on paper. And everyone knows you'll need to interview the candidate face-to-face to establish that they are who they seem to be on paper. Culture fit is another important consideration.

Read: Beware the Culture Vulture

But there's a more whimsical factor to consider, says Hadfield. "If they have a proven track record of being lucky, it's probably for a good reason, and it can supersede the other [factors]." Look for someone who has had good turns of fate, he suggests. "Things that have happened to them, seemingly through luck, are almost always an indicator of the right combination of raw talent and tenacity and skill."

What kind of business would Hadfield start and what does he see as the three biggest barriers to any startup? Find out by listening to this week's PROFIT BusinessCast.