What would I advise an aspiring young entrepreneur? Certainly I’d say read the works of great entrepreneurs and investors like Ben Horowitz, Peter Thiel, and many others. But what’s more important is to get real experience at a great startup. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
Great leaders inspire incredible loyalty in their followers and subordinates. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
It always struck me as pretty cool that people who changed the world often knew each other. After reading them separately, hearing that David Hume and Adam Smith were friends made sense. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
Success gives you a platform for further success – suddenly everybody wants to work with you, and your opportunities and possibilities open up. But at the same time, success is also immensely challenging – it ultimately often creates pride, stubbornness, and sloppiness that beget failure, taking down people and organizations. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
Inasmuch as there is a useful purpose to what we do as VCs, I tend to think it’s our duty not only to mentor entrepreneurs and executive teams, but also to learn from them and the others involved. We can then pass on lessons to aid the startup ecosystem and help businesses succeed and grow their impact. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
Marketing is your battle plan for the sales team – it’s about defining the landscape. Marketing is doing cohort analysis and understanding exactly what possible customers are out there. It’s understanding not only which customers will respond to what messages, but also how customers will become clients if you include certain product features. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
The inability of middle-class people to receive loans in developing countries has had a stifling effect on economic growth and prosperity around the globe. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
There are hundreds of millions of people around the globe who could safely repay loans but nonetheless do not have access to a line of credit. Financial institutions in developing economies are broken and inefficient, and hard-working people have not been given the chance to establish a credit history. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
Top technologists have a tremendous capacity – and, therefore, a tremendous responsibility – to build things that make a positive impact on the world. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
Inexperienced entrepreneurs often want to keep their plans secret, but this is never how I’ve seen any of the great companies get built. Joe Lonsdale Read Quote
