“Trust is a confident relationship with the unknown. And the reason this is so important is that trust isn't, at its essence, an asset or an attribute or a currency. It's a belief. It's what we believe about someone or something. That definition is slightly counterintuitive because, often, when people think about trust, they talk about knowing what to expect from someone or knowing what the outcomes will be. So, they're actually thinking about trust through the language of risk, thinking about it in terms of certainty. And that's not what trust is.”

— Rachel Botsman

Author & Leading Expert on the Sharing Economy & Collaborative Consumption

The quote archive

Business

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

I feel it is the duty for every human and company to do something to either make their community, their city, their state, their country or the world a better place to live.

— John Paul Dejoria

Co-Founder of Paul Mitchell Systems & The Patrón Spirits Company

Love it or hate it, we live in a furiously competitive world- and being just another face in the crowd simply won't help you get ahead.

— Mr. Vikas

There's an adage, 'you don't ask? You don't get!' And in the curious world of humans, this applies more than you'd expect. You'd be astonished at how many people kick themselves after an event not having secured the contact they wanted to, or speaking to the person they had aimed for. In truth, this came down to not being bold enough.

— Mr. Vikas

One of the most important pieces of advice I could give you is to keep the conversation casual, inquisitive and authentic. Casual means keep it light, don't try and get too deep or specific! Inquisitive means don't keep talking about you! Ask people about themselves, their lives, their career, get to know them! Authentic means be real, don't try and force a networking persona on yourself, just be relaxed and be your natural self.

— Mr. Vikas

One of the challenges in networking is everybody thinks it's making cold calls to strangers. Actually, it's the people who already have strong trust relationships with you, who know you're dedicated, smart, a team player, who can help you.

— Reid Hoffman

Co-Founder of LinkedIn & Venture Capitalist

As the great baseball star Earl Weaver once said, 'Nobody likes to hear it, because it's dull, but the reason you win or lose is darn near always the same – pitching.'

— Not specified

You are NOT a machine: There's a reason that presentations are often called 'death by PowerPoint,' and many of the most masterful presentations don't even need slides… More than anything, you need to realise that first and foremost, you're a storyteller – and in any pitch, you have to engage the emotions and interest of your audience.

— Not specified

The most successful teams are the ones who present with authenticity and passion. You could have the next cancer cure, but unless your audience believes in you, they won't invest in you.

— Not specified

When I've asked them about what drew them into a particular investment, the answer is unanimous – the people. When I reflect back on business I've invested in, and the hundreds of investor pitches I've seen?… the answer is the same – and often I've invested in the 'weaker' idea because of the people, and dismissed the 'better' idea for the same reason.

— Not specified

I made a principled decision that none of my wealth will be passed on as inheritance, that my capital will work for philanthropic causes. In other words, philanthropy is the reason I make money.

— Vladimir Potanin

Russian Oligarch & Owner of Norilsk Nickel Mining Company

there are no good musicians who do not have a good ear, no artists without a great imagination, no writers without an excellent command of the language. The same goes for our trade. It is not enough to know how to use a calculator or build sound financial models. You need to have vision. You should look at a business process as if it were a living thing; you need to sense its music.

— Vladimir Potanin

Russian Oligarch & Owner of Norilsk Nickel Mining Company

Winning is good, losing is bad! If you're winning, you can give back — to your family, institutions of your choice, and your local communities. If you're losing, your pockets are empty.

— Jack Welch