Home Inspiration Startup Quotes From Influential People In The Industry

Startup Quotes From Influential People In The Industry

0

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon a cool website called startupquote.com. As I was examining the site I noticed encouraging words of wisdom from some very successful people such as Larry Page, co-founder of Google, Seth Godin, founder of Squidoo, and Pete Cashmore, founder of Mashable. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great to create a post and bring together a collection of great inspirational quotes to get us motivated for some of our own projects that we are working on? What’s also nice about startupquote.com is that you can submit your own words of wisdom and they will tweet it for you. So with no further ado here are my favorite start-up quotes from some of the most influential people in the tech and design industry. Enjoy!

Want more articles on inspiration? Check out some of my previous posts:

404 Error: 60+ Creative And Well Designed Pages

Nike Inspired Graphic Designs

Everything Adidas!

Desktop Wallpaper: 80+ Most Breathtaking Places on Earth

Digital Art: 80+ Most Beautiful CG Girls On The Web (Part 1)

Kevin Rose

I love well-designed products that combine form and functionality.
I love well-designed products that combine form and functionality.

Larry Page

Always deliver more than expected.
Always deliver more than expected.

Biz Stone

Creativity comes from constraint.
Creativity comes from constraint.

Edwin Catmull

If everyone is trying to prevent error, it screws things up.
If everyone is trying to prevent error, it screws things up.

Jason Calacanis

Be amazing, be everywhere, be real.
Be amazing, be everywhere, be real.

Rob Kalin

The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%.
The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%.

Pierre Omidyar

Whatever future you’re building, don’t try to program everything.
Whatever future you’re building, don’t try to program everything.

MG Siegler

Most users have no imagination. They want what they know. When they say they want the future, what they are really saying is that they want a moderately updated version of the past.
Most users have no imagination. They want what they know. When they say they want the future, what they are really saying is that they want a moderately updated version of the past.

Alexis Ohanian

If you want to succeed, you’ve got to be okay to just lose control.
If you want to succeed, you’ve got to be okay to just lose control.

Michael Dell

Don’t spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity, that you miss the right opportunity.
Don’t spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity, that you miss the right opportunity.

Mark Forrester

Grow a thick skin and be prepared to take criticism.
Grow a thick skin and be prepared to take criticism.

Bob Parsons

When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think.
When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think.

Garrett Camp

Stay self-funded as long as possible.
Stay self-funded as long as possible.

Andrew Grove

Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.
Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.

Joe Kraus

Set measurable goals, measure relative to competition.
Set measurable goals, measure relative to competition.

Angelo Sotira

Every time we launch a feature, people yell at us.
Every time we launch a feature, people yell at us.

Walt Disney

We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.
We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.

Mark Zuckerberg

I like to pride myself on thinking pretty long term, but not that long term.
I like to pride myself on thinking pretty long term, but not that long term.

Evan Williams

Be a user of your own product. Make it better based on your own desires. But don’t trick yourself into thinking you are your user.
Be a user of your own product. Make it better based on your own desires. But don’t trick yourself into thinking you are your user.

Reid Hoffman

If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.
If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.

Mark Cuban

Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.
Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.

Aaron Patzer

Observe the world around you - everything you do, and especially everything you  hate to do.
Observe the world around you - everything you do, and especially everything you hate to do.

Jake Nickell

Don’t make decisions based on fear.
Don’t make decisions based on fear.

Gregg Spiridellis

We won’t risk the integrity of our brand by putting a can of soda in the foreground.
We won’t risk the integrity of our brand by putting a can of soda in the foreground.

Iain Dodsworth

In deciding whether to include a service, look at how it fits in with the overall vision.
In deciding whether to include a service, look at how it fits in with the overall vision.

Caterina Fake

Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard.
Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard.

Matt Brezina

Starting a company is like getting married and having a kid.
Starting a company is like getting married and having a kid.

Rands

Criticism is the best sign you’re onto something.
Criticism is the best sign you’re onto something.

Joshua Schachter

If you need scale in order to create value, it’s hard to get scale, because there’s little incentive for the first people to use the product.
If you need scale in order to create value, it’s hard to get scale, because there’s little incentive for the first people to use the product.

Michael Arrington

We live in a world where you’re not being eaten by a lion when you fail, you just have to get another job.
We live in a world where you’re not being eaten by a lion when you fail, you just have to get another job.

Scott Belsky

Among idealists and visionaries, there is no shortage of good intent, but there’s often a shortage of discipline.
Among idealists and visionaries, there is no shortage of good intent, but there’s often a shortage of discipline.

Pete Cashmore

We are really competing against ourselves, we have no control over how other people perform.
We are really competing against ourselves, we have no control over how other people perform.

Masaru Ibuka

The key to success for everything in business, science and technology is never to follow the others.
The key to success for everything in business, science and technology is never to follow the others.

Seth Godin

There are lots of good reasons to abandon a project. Having a little competition is not one of them.
There are lots of good reasons to abandon a project. Having a little competition is not one of them.

Larry Page

Always deliver more than expected.
Always deliver more than expected.

Mark Pincus

Not having a clear goal leads to death by a thousand compromises.
Not having a clear goal leads to death by a thousand compromises.

Marco ArmentArment

Making a product better often requires removing features.
Making a product better often requires removing features.

Andrew Mason

It takes some experimentation to figure out what people like and don’t like.
It takes some experimentation to figure out what people like and don’t like.

Omar Hamoui

If someone asks you for something, provide them with a clear “No” or a delivery date.
If someone asks you for something, provide them with a clear “No” or a delivery date.

Jason Fried

Projections are bullshit. They’re just guesses.
Projections are bullshit. They’re just guesses.

Chris Dixon

People capable of making enough money to never work again are the same people who will never quit working.
People capable of making enough money to never work again are the same people who will never quit working.

Jack Ma

Forget about your competitors, just focus on your customers.
Forget about your competitors, just focus on your customers.

Jason Cohen

Branding is what you do, not what you call it.
Branding is what you do, not what you call it.

Warren Buffet

Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.
Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.

Sam Tarantino

It’s in everyone’s nature to say “You can’t do this”. The world will see.
It’s in everyone’s nature to say “You can’t do this”. The world will see.

Mark Frauenfelder

To be successful, you have to have quantity of quality.
To be successful, you have to have quantity of quality.

Sam Altman

The startups that do well are the ones that are working all the time.
The startups that do well are the ones that are working all the time.

Andrew Lacy

When you have rich exchange of ideas, stuff happens.
When you have rich exchange of ideas, stuff happens.

Ben Horowitz

Planning is valuable, tho the plan is usually useless.
Planning is valuable, tho the plan is usually useless.

Tim O’Reilly

Money is like gasoline during a road trip. You don’t want to run out of gas on your trip, but you’re not doing a tour of gas stations.
Money is like gasoline during a road trip. You don’t want to run out of gas on your trip, but you’re not doing a tour of gas stations.

Anthony Volodkin

Be undeniably good. No marketing effort or social media buzzword can be a substitute for that.
Be undeniably good. No marketing effort or social media buzzword can be a substitute for that.

Dina Kaplan

You need to keep your head down and build a great product before you raise money.
You need to keep your head down and build a great product before you raise money.

Paul Farnell

To us it’s not just about money, it’s about enjoying what we do and believing in it.
To us it’s not just about money, it’s about enjoying what we do and believing in it.

Ryan Freitas

Your reputation is more important than your paycheck, and your integrity is worth more than your career.
Your reputation is more important than your paycheck, and your integrity is worth more than your career.

Salman Khan

Don’t throw out buzz words without really knowing what is going on behind it.
Don’t throw out buzz words without really knowing what is going on behind it.

Dave McClure

Features are like having sex. You make one mistake and you have to support it for life.
Features are like having sex. You make one mistake and you have to support it for life.

Gary Vaynerchuk

We’re not really good at knowing what we want, and we are very quick to say “this sucks”. That’s where the opportunity lies.
We’re not really good at knowing what we want, and we are very quick to say “this sucks”. That’s where the opportunity lies.

Marc Andreessen

The difference between a vision and a hallucination is that other people can see the vision.
The difference between a vision and a hallucination is that other people can see the vision.

Adam Smith

Expect and hope that a quarter of your projects fail. If not, you’re not taking enough risks.
Expect and hope that a quarter of your projects fail. If not, you’re not taking enough risks.

Spencer Fry

When bootstrapping, you need to find a team that’s willing to work for nothing and spend their off hours with you.
When bootstrapping, you need to find a team that’s willing to work for nothing and spend their off hours with you.

Drew Houston

Learn early, learn often.
Learn early, learn often.

Noah Everett

Don’t compromise what you wouldn’t want for a quick buck.
Don’t compromise what you wouldn’t want for a quick buck.