--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a time when I was wondering…" description: "\"There was a time when I was wondering about this business of going public, so I visited about a half-dozen companies in the Boston area, all of them fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/amar-bose-25587_boston_there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-ab_1720240.png" --- # There was a time when I was wondering about this business… ![“There was a time when I was wondering about this business of going public, so I visited about a half-dozen companies in the Boston area, all of them formed by MIT faculty and all had gone public.” quote by Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/amar-bose-25587_boston_there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-ab_1720240.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/amar-bose-25587_boston_there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-ab_1720240.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/amar-bose-25587_boston_there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-ab_1720240.png) > “There was a time when I was wondering about this business of going public, so I visited about a half-dozen companies in the Boston area, all of them formed by MIT faculty and all had gone public.” [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He observed many MIT‑founded firms had successfully IPO’d, prompting curiosity about public markets. **In simple terms:** MIT firms went public, sparking his interest. Key Takeaway Explore IPO possibilities early. Themes entrepreneurship public markets MIT innovation Mood curious analytical Type historical business When to use this quote - seeking investors - evaluating market timing - learning from peers Key Concepts IPO strategy startup growth academic spin‑offs Questions to Reflect On - What factors made those MIT firms succeed? - How does public status change a company’s culture? A Different Perspective Public markets demand rigorous governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [I look at Boston-based companies all the time... There's certainly great companies in Boston. If the deal makes sense on the merit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/i-look-at-boston-based-companies-all-the-time-there-s-certainly-great/) [Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/) > [Facebook could have gone public whenever it wanted. We decided the right time was 2012. It could have easily been 2010 or 2014.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamath-palihapitiya/facebook-could-have-gone-public-whenever-it-wanted-we-decided-the/) [Chamath Palihapitiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamath-palihapitiya/) > [I don't think we would still be here if we hadn't gone public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/i-don-t-think-we-would-still-be-here-if-we-hadn-t-gone-public/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [People think floating should be the easiest and happiest time for a company, but it's actually really hard. We were meant to think we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-harris/people-think-floating-should-be-the-easiest-and-happiest-time-for-a/) [Parker Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-harris/) > [“At an office party, John heard a woman say: I want to divest. I want somebody to buy us. Then we can relax. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/at-an-office-party-john-heard-a-woman-say-i-want-to-divest-i-want/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [I've been part of founding three companies that have gone public. It doesn't seem like a big number, but it's actually a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lefkofsky/i-ve-been-part-of-founding-three-companies-that-have-gone-public-it/) [Eric Lefkofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lefkofsky/) > [At MIT, I had the good fortune for seven years to teach network theory, which is basic to many disciplines, to one-third of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/at-mit-i-had-the-good-fortune-for-seven-years-to-teach-network-theory/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [We did experiments with the Boston Symphony for many years where we measured the angles of incidence of sound arriving at the ears of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/we-did-experiments-with-the-boston-symphony-for-many-years-where-we/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [I loved music, and in my ninth year at MIT, I decided to buy a hi-fi set. I figured that all I needed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/i-loved-music-and-in-my-ninth-year-at-mit-i-decided-to-buy-a-hi-fi/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [There will come a time and place it will be appropriate for us to consider going public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-c-griffin/there-will-come-a-time-and-place-it-will-be-appropriate-for-us-to/) [Kenneth C. Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-c-griffin/) > [Try being my size and going into a public restroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-barty/try-being-my-size-and-going-into-a-public-restroom/) [Billy Barty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-barty/) > [Going public for the sake of going public is not really an optimal thing. You're going public because as a company you believe it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-weiner/going-public-for-the-sake-of-going-public-is-not-really-an-optimal/) [Jeff Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-weiner/) > [I think there's nothing new going on. Except that, you're even more public than you've ever been.There's some good and some bad to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-think-there-s-nothing-new-going-on-except-that-you-re-even-more/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [I have an ego like anybody else, but I don't need to be stoked by going before the public all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/i-have-an-ego-like-anybody-else-but-i-don-t-need-to-be-stoked-by/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Amar Bose > [The prejudice was so bad in the United States at that time that a dark person with a white person would not be served…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/the-prejudice-was-so-bad-in-the-united-states-at-that-time-that-a/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [I'm forming a charitable institution for education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/i-m-forming-a-charitable-institution-for-education/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [If you think something is impossible, don't disturb the person who is doing it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/if-you-think-something-is-impossible-don-t-disturb-the-person-who-is/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [We learned the value of research in World War II.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/we-learned-the-value-of-research-in-world-war-ii/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [I really wanted to do research. That has never changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/i-really-wanted-to-do-research-that-has-never-changed/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [I never went into business to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/i-never-went-into-business-to-make-money/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [At MIT, I had the good fortune for seven years to teach network theory, which is basic to many disciplines, to one-third of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/at-mit-i-had-the-good-fortune-for-seven-years-to-teach-network-theory/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [I had studied violin from age 7 to 14.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/i-had-studied-violin-from-age-7-to-14/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [Research in this country is going down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/research-in-this-country-is-going-down/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [I would have been fired a hundred times at a company run by M.B.A.’s. But I never went into business to make money. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/i-would-have-been-fired-a-hundred-times-at-a-company-run-by-m-b-a-s/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [I hope that the institution will succeed in maximizing students' potential in the same way. I will give all of my stock to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/i-hope-that-the-institution-will-succeed-in-maximizing-students/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [At 13, I realized that I could fix anything electronic. It was amazing, I could just do it. I started a business repairing radios.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/at-13-i-realized-that-i-could-fix-anything-electronic-it-was-amazing/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [There is an enormous inertia that prevents people from change. You must always remember that it is impossible to make something better if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/there-is-an-enormous-inertia-that-prevents-people-from-change-you/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [The excitement level for me working on projects is really not a bit different from when I was 26.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/the-excitement-level-for-me-working-on-projects-is-really-not-a-bit/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) > [The food we ate was Indian, and both my mother and father were very deep into the ancient philosophy of India, so it could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/the-food-we-ate-was-indian-and-both-my-mother-and-father-were-very/) [Amar Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) [Explore all 22 Amar Bose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/) ## More Boston quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [“Mom, I live in the South End, not South Boston. They are entirely different neighborhoods.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-swanson-goodreads-author/mom-i-live-in-the-south-end-not-south-boston-they-are-entirely/) Peter Swanson (Goodreads Author > [I think there are four or five interesting pockets where a lot of cool technology companies are getting started. Chicago is one of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lefkofsky/i-think-there-are-four-or-five-interesting-pockets-where-a-lot-of/) [Eric Lefkofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lefkofsky/) > [I love cooking but I still always go and sneak a little bit of sides from Boston Market, and it's so good. They're so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-walsh/i-love-cooking-but-i-still-always-go-and-sneak-a-little-bit-of-sides/) [Kate Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-walsh/) > [Boston is one of my favorite places to wrestle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rikishi/boston-is-one-of-my-favorite-places-to-wrestle/) [Rikishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rikishi/) > [I ain't got no problem in Boston, I especially like the attention. I know that I'm one of the top guys in this game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/i-ain-t-got-no-problem-in-boston-i-especially-like-the-attention-i/) [Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/) > [I lived to play basketball. Growing up as a kid, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics were my favorite team. The way they played,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/i-lived-to-play-basketball-growing-up-as-a-kid-bill-russell-and-the/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [The success of Boston's economy is intertwined with the health and well-being of every neighborhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wu/the-success-of-boston-s-economy-is-intertwined-with-the-health-and/) [Michelle Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wu/) > [2004 was a great year for Boston! The Patriots won the Super Bowl! Boston hosted its first national political convention! And - the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-menino/2004-was-a-great-year-for-boston-the-patriots-won-the-super-bowl/) [Thomas Menino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-menino/) > [ It was when Boston invited us to do a parade one November, and I was the only \[Star Wars\] cast member skeptical of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratzenberger/it-was-when-boston-invited-us-to-do-a-parade-one-november-and-i-was/) [John Ratzenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratzenberger/) > [Now I have been studying very closely what happens every day in the courts in Boston, Massachusetts. You would be astounded--maybe you wouldn't, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/now-i-have-been-studying-very-closely-what-happens-every-day-in-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Boston's justice system is in serious need of reform. Many of its policies and practices are antiquated, expensive, and don't really even make Boston…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-king/boston-s-justice-system-is-in-serious-need-of-reform-many-of-its/) [Shaun King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-king/) > [I grew up outside of Boston in a town called Manchester by the Sea, and we spent our summers in Nantucket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-faxon/i-grew-up-outside-of-boston-in-a-town-called-manchester-by-the-sea/) [Nat Faxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-faxon/) > [Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture, ... When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/priests-like-all-of-us-are-affected-by-culture-when-the-culture-is/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) [Browse all 787 Boston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There was a time when I was wondering about this business of going public, so I visited about a half-dozen companies in the Boston area, all of them formed by MIT faculty and all had gone public.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amar Bose" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-about-this-business-of-going/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boston" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-about-this-business-of-going/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/amar-bose-25587_boston_there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-ab_1720240.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/amar-bose-25587_boston_there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-ab_1720240.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/amar-bose-25587_boston_there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-ab_1720240.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was a time when I was wondering about this business of going public, so I visited about a half-dozen…” — Amar Bose", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amar Bose", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar-bose/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There was a time when I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-about-this-business-of-going/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar-bose/there-was-a-time-when-i-was-wondering-about-this-business-of-going/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```