"There was a study done in the early 20th century of all the entrepreneurs who entered the automobile industry around the same time as Henry Ford there were something like 500 automotive companies that got funded, had the internal combustion engine, had the technology, and had the vision. Sixty percent of them folded within a couple of years.“


-Eric Ries

posted in technology


There was a study done in the early 20th century of all the entrepreneurs who entered the automobile industry around the same time as Henry Ford there were something like 500 automotive companies that got funded, had the internal combustion engine, had the technology, and had the vision. Sixty percent of them folded within a couple of years.

Other Quotes You Might Like

Discover more inspiring quotes from our collection

"You know how people always talk about how vision is the key to entrepreneurship and perseverance and really seeing what other people don't see? We can actually redeem a fair amount of that folk wisdom."

-Eric Ries

wisdomView Quote
"Except in very narrow cases, where there's breakthrough science that needs patent production, worrying about competitors is a waste of time. If you can't out iterate someone who is trying to copy you, you're toast anyway."

-Eric Ries

scienceView Quote
"Science and vision are not opposites or even at odds. They need each other. I sometimes hear other startup folks say something along the lines of: 'If entrepreneurship was a science, then anyone could do it.' I'd like to point out that even science is a science, and still very few people can do it, let alone do it well."

-Eric Ries

scienceView Quote
"Here in Silicon Valley, I have taken part in hundreds of conversations trying to convince people to dive in and become entrepreneurs. All too often, innovators with good, safe, jobs are unwilling to put their family's access to health care at risk by walking away from company-backed medical insurance."

-Eric Ries

medicalView Quote
"Learning to see waste and systematically eliminate it has allowed lean companies such as Toyota to dominate entire industries. Lean thinking defines value as 'providing benefit to the customer' anything else is waste."

-Eric Ries

learningView Quote
"Here in Silicon Valley, I have taken part in hundreds of conversations trying to convince people to dive in and become entrepreneurs. All too often, innovators with good, safe, jobs are unwilling to put their family's access to health care at risk by walking away from company-backed medical insurance."

-Eric Ries

healthView Quote

More Quotes About technology

Explore other inspiring quotes in this category

"If we had had the right technology back then, you would have seen Eva Braun on the Donahue show and Adolf Hitler on Meet the Press."

-Ed Turner

technologyView Quote
"Technology has changed, and we need to figure out how to improve the archaic way of what makes a hit, or how to determine how many viewers are watching beyond some people with Nielsen boxes in a small percentage of homes in random areas."

-Jim Rash

technologyView Quote
"Being around some of the bright lights of the technology world and having them expect great things helps you sit down and do it seriously."

-Aaron Swartz

technologyView Quote
"I don't think people buy technology products because of the personalities of the people behind them."

-Jim Balsillie

technologyView Quote
"Just let me use the technology I want at a fair price."

-Jonathan Potter

technologyView Quote
"But I don't think we'll go there until we go back to the moon and develop a technology base for living and working and transporting ourselves through space."

-Jack Schmitt

technologyView Quote