Always work hard on something uncomfortably exciting!
Larry PageRead
Lots of companies don’t succeed over time. What do they fundamentally do wrong? They usually miss the future. I try to focus on that: What is the future really going to be? And how do we create it? And how do we power our organization to really focus on that and really drive it at a high rate? When I was working on Android, I felt guilty. It wasn’t what we were working on, it was a start-up, and I felt guilty. That was stupid! It was the future.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of anticipating the future for long-term success in business.
Larry Page reflects on the need for companies to embrace and prepare for the future to ensure their success over time. He suggests that many organizations fail because they lose sight of future opportunities and underscores the necessity of driving focus and innovation within teams to create and shape the future, citing his experience with Android as an example of working on a forward-thinking project despite feelings of guilt about its status.
Themes
FutureSuccessInnovationBusinessLeadership
In practice
Example use cases
In a business seminar discussing the importance of innovation, this quote could illustrate the necessity of forward-thinking.
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Excellence matters, and technology advances so fast that the potential for improvement is tremendous. So, since becoming CEO again, I've pushed hard to increase our velocity, improve our execution, and focus on the big bets that will make a difference in the world.
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