“I think people need to understand that building a business is really, really difficult. That shouldn't put anyone off, but there's no easy road to riches.”

— Richard Harpin

The quote archive

Wisdom in fragments

A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.

Human beings have very powerful imaginations; and we don't live in the world in the same way that other creatures seem to. We don't live in the world quite so directly, we live in the world of ideas… we have concepts, artefacts, languages, music, images, theories, philosophies, faiths and values which we work-on, inherit, construct, challenge, change and form.

— Ken Robinson

Educational reformer & TED speaker on creativity in schools

For me, our sophisticated way of communicating- with words- is that crucial difference. It meant that for the first time, we could teach another about something that wasn't present… whereas young chimps just learn by observing. We can read books about the distant past, and plan the distant future.

— Jane Goodall

Primatologist & Ethologist Who Revolutionized Study of Wild Chimpanzees

Always remember – it's best to own 10% of a big number, than all of nothing!

— Unknown

As founder(s) you cannot be scared of making tough decisions for the good of your business; the longer you let things lie, the tougher (and more expensive) it can be to resolve them.

— Unknown

You have to empower your board to make their own decisions, follow their instinct, and execute. Think of your board in many ways as a team of entrepreneurs that you're investing in, rather than as employees that you manage.

— Unknown

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of hiring a table of yes-men. This is great for ego, bad for business. You need to hire people who are smarter or more experienced than you in those specific roles. They may often challenge you and re-structure your thoughts, but this is important for good governance.

— Unknown

What failure really means is that you are trying to live life, and the fact that you fail means that you are trying. As soon as you try to avoid failure, you are facing the wrong direction.

— Ed Catmull

Co-Founder of Pixar & Pioneer in Computer Graphics

If you don't have some failures continually, it is a signal that you have retreated into the conservative past. Most people still interpret failure as an unfortunate thing to get to success, but this isn't actually what it means.

— Ed Catmull

Co-Founder of Pixar & Pioneer in Computer Graphics

People should adopt a fearlessness where they are trying new things, but then accept that by doing this- a certain percentage of things will fail. Failure is not a necessary evil, but rather- it is a positive part of on-going progress.

— Ed Catmull

Co-Founder of Pixar & Pioneer in Computer Graphics

Understanding truly why a failure occurred and making peace with it is the first step to being able to move-forward- it allows you to identify where the gaps where in you and your enterprise, and hopefully will give you insights into where you need more support, education and attention.

— Unknown

Management that is forced into near time results and paybacks is not tuned for the sort of messages that design has to offer––those of long term customer relationships, of innovative approaches to creating desirable uniqueness.

— Chris Bangle