“While a quantum computer could certainly cause significant economic and social disruption if used to break encryption, it does not pose the same kind of direct, physical threat to humanity as nuclear weapons. The situation is somewhat mitigated by the existence of quantum-resistant or post-quantum cryptographic schemes.”— Scott Aaronson
The quote archive
A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.
Wealth is just an indicator of how well (or not) things are going. Whatever I'm doing, there are indicators… do people like what I'm doing? Do they think I'm crazy? Am I making a lot of money? These are just indicators. Wealth is not and end in itself, it's just one of many indicator as to how you're doing.
— Thor BjörgólfssonIcelandic billionaire businessman and former chess player
As the rise of populism causes increased scepticism of business we are very conscious of our role as a firm in society. We focus on the impact that our portfolio businesses have on all of their stakeholders, from investors and employees to the local communities in which they operate.
— Guy HandsTerra Firma Capital founder; acquired EMI Records in 2007
Simply put, a great business will understand its customers, have a clear, sound strategy and a business plan that can deliver against it. In order to do this it is very important to have a management team who can execute that plan.
— Guy HandsTerra Firma Capital founder; acquired EMI Records in 2007
I think there is huge volatility in short-term investing. If we keep a long-term perspective in mind, we will go through the good cycles and the bad cycles and reach the other side. Short-term vision does not allow one to build better businesses and create value.
— Guy HandsTerra Firma Capital founder; acquired EMI Records in 2007
While most people are uncomfortable with change we have a business built on analysing it. Our business takes advantage of challenges and the opportunities they provide.
— Guy HandsTerra Firma Capital founder; acquired EMI Records in 2007
The most common mistake is to stop challenging when things are going well. I recognise failure as not having made a business better than when you were first involved.
— Guy HandsTerra Firma Capital founder; acquired EMI Records in 2007
To me, a great leader should be empathetic, authentic, entrepreneurial, creative, ethical and lead from the front.
— Guy HandsTerra Firma Capital founder; acquired EMI Records in 2007
When you look at companies that survive growth, you are seeing the importance of people- not just ideas. One of the big surprises to young people when they show up in Silicon Valley... is that there are literally thousands of people just like that across Silicon Valley who were top of their class and have incredible ideas. Successful companies that scale stand out because of their people!
— John SculleyCEO of Apple Computer Company during the 1980s and 1990s
I'd only been at Apple a few months and I was sitting in the Macintosh lab with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates listening to them talking about their 'noble cause.' I had never heard about having a 'noble cause' in business- for me, it was about gladiatorial competition... Here was Steve Jobs and Bill Gates talking about empowering knowledge workers with tools for the mind, making them incredibly productive, and helping them to change the way things were done in our world; creating entirely new industries in the process.
— John SculleyCEO of Apple Computer Company during the 1980s and 1990s
To scale? you have the stars aligned- timing is everything. When we created the first personal digital assistant, the Newton... we were probably 15 years too early. Even some of the best computer scientists in the world didn't realise that at the time, we needed Moore's Law to continue doubling processing power every couple of years for at least a decade before it was practical to build products like iPhones.
— John SculleyCEO of Apple Computer Company during the 1980s and 1990s
BE CONSISTENT across your communication – what your values are, what you're trying to do – it's super obvious but without a single clear proposition that you communicate consistently at every contact point, you can't expect to grow an audience that believes in you.
— Kanya KingWhat we're seeing is a global shift towards meaning and WeWork is helping achieve that on a global scale.
— Miguel McKelveyCo-founder of WeWork, co-working space company
Our mission is to help people create a life, not just a living. Our product provides the space, community and services that creators need so they can focus on their work.
— Miguel McKelveyCo-founder of WeWork, co-working space company
At WeWork, we believe creators are anyone that's pursuing their passions and contributing to a mission. You may be an artist who is working on an innovative new project, a freelance software engineer providing client services or a director of HR at a Fortune 500 company that's trying to build a dynamic work environment for employees – regardless of your company size, title or function, you are working towards creating meaning, intention and purpose within your life.
— Miguel McKelveyCo-founder of WeWork, co-working space company
'Brand,' is what journalists and industry-people say… we say culture movement. As artists we say culture! Movement! And analysts say brand. I don't know what a brand is, but I know what a freakin' movement is…
— will.i.amGrammy-winning rapper, producer, and member of The Black Eyed Peas
Having a strong brand identity is essential. With the evolving retail landscape and the impact of technology, the customer is becoming more and more savvy. They want brands they can trust, brands with a sense of integrity and individuality that they associate with quality, craftsmanship and authenticity.
— Tory BurchFounder of Luxury Fashion Brand Tory Burch & Philanthropist