Building a startup community is not a zero-sum game in which there are winners and losers: if everyone engages, they and the entire community can all be winners.
Interpretation
Building a startup community benefits everyone involved, with collective engagement leading to mutual success.
This quote emphasizes the collaborative nature of a startup community, arguing that success is not merely a competition where some prevail while others fail. Instead, when individuals contribute and engage with one another, the entire community flourishes, creating an environment where everyone can succeed together. Collaboration and shared efforts lead to greater outcomes, showcasing the importance of working together rather than in isolation.
In practice
In a presentation about community building, one can use this quote to highlight the importance of teamwork.
For a long time, I've ranted against naming your startup community 'Silicon Whatever.' Instead, I believe every startup community already has a name. The Boulder startup community is called Boulder. The L.A. startup community is called L.A. The Washington D.C. startup community is called Washington D.C.
Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.
The people at the top don't work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.
When I stepped into the box, I felt the at-bat belonged to me. Everybody else was there for my convenience. The pitcher was there to throw me a ball to hit. The catcher was there to throw it back to him if he didn't give me what I wanted the first time. And the umpire was lucky that he was close enough to watch.
Success happened little by little for me. I tasted the flavor of fame in small doses: I started at 10 years old when I won a music contest; I was performing at birthday parties, company meetings.
You don't get this opportunity many times in life to compete against the best in the world every night. I certainly didn't expect to have 10 or 11 years of chances at it, so I don't want to take that for granted.
Ever since I was younger I wanted to be on stage, singing my songs in a glittering costume. And that happened and is still happening. I have to remember that this is what I wished for and be grateful because there are 500 other girls right behind me that are ready to snatch it up.
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