--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Startup CEOs should not play the odds…" description: "\"Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are building a company, you must believe there is an answer and you cannot pay attention to your odds o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/ben-horowitz-1791_answers_startup-ceos-should-not-play-the-odds-wh_478041.jpg" --- # Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are… ![“Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are building a company, you must believe there is an answer and you cannot pay attention to your odds of finding it. You just have to find it. It matters not whether your chances are nine in ten or one in a thousand; your task is the same.” quote by Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/ben-horowitz-1791_answers_startup-ceos-should-not-play-the-odds-wh_478041.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/ben-horowitz-1791_answers_startup-ceos-should-not-play-the-odds-wh_478041.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/ben-horowitz-1791_answers_startup-ceos-should-not-play-the-odds-wh_478041.jpg) > “Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are building a company, you must believe there is an answer and you cannot pay attention to your odds of finding it. You just have to find it. It matters not whether your chances are nine in ten or one in a thousand; your task is the same.” [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success in startups requires unwavering belief in a solution, ignoring statistical odds and focusing on execution. **In simple terms:** Believe in a solution, ignore odds. Key Takeaway Commit to finding a solution regardless of odds. Themes entrepreneurship confidence risk determination Mood determined optimistic focused Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - product development - fundraising - team building - pivot decisions Key Concepts growth mindset probability bias resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance confidence with realistic risk assessment? - When should you reconsider a strategy despite belief? A Different Perspective Overlooking realistic constraints can lead to reckless decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-odds-2294899/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Ceos Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceos-play-3672494/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chances Thousand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chances-thousand-4116542/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Findings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/findings/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matters Chances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-chances-4116543/) [Nine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nine/) [Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odds/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Startup Ceos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup-ceos-3672493/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [Thousand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand/) ## Related quotes > [“Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are building a company, you must believe there is an answer and you cannot pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/startup-ceos-should-not-play-the-odds-when-you-are-building-a-company-2/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“I never built that contingency plan. Through the seemingly impossible Loudcloud series C and IPO processes, I learned one important lesson: Startup CEOs should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/i-never-built-that-contingency-plan-through-the-seemingly-impossible/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [I don't even pay attention to the odds, to be honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-arreola/i-don-t-even-pay-attention-to-the-odds-to-be-honest-with-you/) [Chris Arreola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-arreola/) > [As a startup CEO, I slept like a baby. 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