Business plans are the tool existing companies use for execution. They are the wrong tool to search for a business model.
Steve BlankRead
You need to ask yourself, ‘Where do you want to work: startups, mid-size or large companies?’ If you find yourself debating the ‘startup versus large company’ choice you’ve already chosen the big company. Entrepreneurship isn’t a career choice it’s a passion and obsession.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that choosing to work in a startup versus a large company reveals one's true inclinations and passions regarding entrepreneurship.
Steve Blank highlights the fundamental difference in mindset between people who are drawn to large corporations and those who thrive in startup environments. He suggests that if a person is torn between these two options, their inclination towards stability and security points to a preference for large companies, indicating a lack of the obsessive passion required for entrepreneurship. Instead of viewing entrepreneurship merely as a job option, it should be seen as a dedication fueled by passion and obsession.
Themes
EntrepreneurshipCareerPassionStartupsLarge CompaniesObsession
In practice
Example use cases
In a career advice seminar, this quote can inspire young adults to pursue their true interests in startups.
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All quotes →Unless you have tested the assumptions in your business model first, outside the building, your business plan is just creative writing.
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Build and they will come’ is not a strategy, it’s a prayer.
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