QuoteProject
This is a perverse thing, personally, but I would rather be in the cycle where people are underestimating us. It gives us latitude to go out and make big bets that excite and amaze people.
Mark Zuckerberg
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Underestimation can be an advantage, allowing for bold risks and impressive achievements.

Mark Zuckerberg reflects on the advantage of being underestimated, suggesting that it provides a unique opportunity for individuals or teams to take significant risks that can lead to remarkable outcomes. This mindset fosters creativity and innovation, as the pressure of expectations is lifted, enabling new ideas and ventures that can surprise and delight others.

Themes

UnderestimateRisksInnovationSuccessOpportunity

In practice

Example use cases

During a motivational speech at a startup conference.

More from Mark Zuckerberg

My number one piece of advice is: you should learn how to program.
Mark ZuckerbergRead
I literally coded Facebook in my dorm room and launched it from my dorm room. I rented a server for $85 a month, and I funded it by putting an ad on the side, and we've funded ever since by putting ads on the side.
Mark ZuckerbergRead
People can be really smart or have skills that are directly applicable, but if they don't really believe in it, then they are not going to really work hard.
Mark ZuckerbergRead
Simply put: we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services.
Mark ZuckerbergRead
The question isn't, 'What do we want to know about people?', It's, 'What do people want to tell about themselves?'
Mark ZuckerbergRead
Building a mission and building a business go hand in hand. The primary thing that excites me is the mission. But we have always had a healthy understanding that we need to do both.
Mark ZuckerbergRead

Similar quotes

Excellence isn’t about meeting the spec, it’s about setting the spec. It defines what the consumer sees as quality right this minute, and tomorrow, if you’re good, you’ll reset that expectation again
Seth GodinRead
The formula is simple - do more of what is working, do less of what isn't, and try on new behaviors to see if they produce better results.
Jack CanfieldRead
We all know a variety of ways to make a living. What's even more fascinating is figuring out ways to make a fortune.
Jim RohnRead
When you play this game twenty years, go to bat ten-thousand times, and get three-thousand hits, do you know what that means? You've gone zero for seven-thousand.
Pete RoseRead
Are you willing to push the right buttons even if it means being perceived as the villain? … I'd rather be perceived as a winner than a good teammate. I wish they both went hand in hand all the time but that's just not reality. … I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success.
Kobe BryantRead
I can't imagine a person becoming a success who doesn't give this game of life everything he's got.
Walter CronkiteRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.