--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We weren’t trying to strike it rich with…" description: "\"We weren’t trying to strike it rich with Firefox. It’s open source and it’s free. We weren’t trying to take over the world; we had kind of modest goals..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bab/blake-ross-65994_capitalist_we-weren-t-trying-to-strike-it-rich-with_1149947.png" --- # We weren’t trying to strike it rich with Firefox. It’s… ![“We weren’t trying to strike it rich with Firefox. It’s open source and it’s free. We weren’t trying to take over the world; we had kind of modest goals, and it was OK if it failed. We were a lot freer to make risky decisions. If you can afford to do things that way, it’s just so much better…” quote by Blake Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bab/blake-ross-65994_capitalist_we-weren-t-trying-to-strike-it-rich-with_1149947.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bab/blake-ross-65994_capitalist_we-weren-t-trying-to-strike-it-rich-with_1149947.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bab/blake-ross-65994_capitalist_we-weren-t-trying-to-strike-it-rich-with_1149947.png) > “We weren’t trying to strike it rich with Firefox. It’s open source and it’s free. We weren’t trying to take over the world; we had kind of modest goals, and it was OK if it failed. We were a lot freer to make risky decisions. If you can afford to do things that way, it’s just so much better. You’re not thinking about venture capitalists or marketing or sales. Just product and users, all day every day.” Blake Ross ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The team prioritized openness and user focus over profit, accepting failure as a possible outcome and enabling daring choices. **In simple terms:** They valued free, open software and user needs over money. Key Takeaway Embrace modest, user‑centric goals. Themes open source risk product focus Mood pragmatic optimistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - startup decisions - software development - team management - risk taking Key Concepts modesty failure tolerance user centricity Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on users over profit affect innovation? - What risks arise from modest goals? A Different Perspective May limit resources and scalability without funding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Open source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-source/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Venture capitalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venture-capitalists/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The name Firefox is not part of the open source licence, and that's why it's important to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-baker/the-name-firefox-is-not-part-of-the-open-source-licence-and-that-s/) [Mitchell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-baker/) > [“Venture capitalists make money by buying shares in companies and subsequently selling those shares for more than the original investment.  It’s a simple game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-snow/venture-capitalists-make-money-by-buying-shares-in-companies-and/) Bill Snow > [Society can't wait. It's sad there are so many entrepreneurs, business successes and venture capitalists who give no thought to society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-wexner/society-can-t-wait-it-s-sad-there-are-so-many-entrepreneurs-business/) [Les Wexner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-wexner/) > [Outsiders think of Silicon Valley as a success story, but in truth, it is a graveyard. Failure.. is Silicon Valley's greatest strength. Every failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-malone/outsiders-think-of-silicon-valley-as-a-success-story-but-in-truth-it/) [Michael Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-malone/) > [A fool and his money will soon be departed applies equally to venture capitalists as it does to everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-heinemeier-hansson/a-fool-and-his-money-will-soon-be-departed-applies-equally-to-venture/) [David Heinemeier Hansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-heinemeier-hansson/) > [When you have a failed pitch, you meet many more venture capitalists than you really want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caterina-fake/when-you-have-a-failed-pitch-you-meet-many-more-venture-capitalists/) [Caterina Fake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caterina-fake/) > [A startup job is an investment, after all: Venture capitalists may wager money, but you're staking something more precious - your time. And unlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/a-startup-job-is-an-investment-after-all-venture-capitalists-may/) [Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/) > [First of all, in terms of investment in Internet-related developments, venture capitalists - once burned - are now very cautious and are investing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-of-all-in-terms-of-investment-in-internet-related-developments/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [While I'm a venture capitalist who invests in early-stage tech companies, I often feel like a professional emailer and conference call maker. I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-feld/while-i-m-a-venture-capitalist-who-invests-in-early-stage-tech/) [Brad Feld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-feld/) > [Some of my best friends are Venture Capitalists, but let's face it, a hamster with Alzheimer's could make those kind of numbers. It's great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/some-of-my-best-friends-are-venture-capitalists-but-let-s-face-it-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [True innovation takes at least 10 to 15 years, whereas the longest that private venture capitalists are routinely willing to wait is five years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/true-innovation-takes-at-least-10-to-15-years-whereas-the-longest/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [The government is somewhat inept, but the private sector is inept in general. How many companies do venture capitalists invest in that go poorly?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-government-is-somewhat-inept-but-the-private-sector-is-inept-in/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > ["(Big name research firm) says our market will be $50 billion in 2010." Every entrepreneur has a few slides about how the market potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/big-name-research-firm-says-our-market-will-be-50-billion-in-2010/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [Most venture capitalists won't read a business plan unless the entrepreneur is introduced to them by a contact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/most-venture-capitalists-won-t-read-a-business-plan-unless-the/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [Harvard and Yale concentrated with venture capitalists that got the best calls and brainpower. Very few firms made most of the money, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/harvard-and-yale-concentrated-with-venture-capitalists-that-got-the/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## More by Blake Ross > [I'm a firm believer in shades of gray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-ross/i-m-a-firm-believer-in-shades-of-gray/) Blake Ross > [The next big thing is the one that makes the last big thing usable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-ross/the-next-big-thing-is-the-one-that-makes-the-last-big-thing-usable/) Blake Ross > [“Now we realize that time is our most valuable resource, and every minute we spend in one of these meetings just sitting there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-ross/now-we-realize-that-time-is-our-most-valuable-resource-and-every/) Blake Ross Explore all 4 Blake Ross quotes ## More Capitalist quotes > [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/) William Henry Pickering > [As the variable capital always stays in the hands of the capitalist in some form or other, it cannot be claimed in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-the-variable-capital-always-stays-in-the-hands-of-the-capitalist/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [When I was young, I worked for a capitalist twelve hours a day and I was always tired. Now I work for myself twenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/when-i-was-young-i-worked-for-a-capitalist-twelve-hours-a-day-and-i/) [Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/) > [“Capitalist cycle of profit. The rancher sells a cow for profit. The butcher sells cuts for profit. The restaurant sells meals for profit. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/capitalist-cycle-of-profit-the-rancher-sells-a-cow-for-profit-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [For me, it is clear that we are currently in a period of structural crisis of capitalism going back to the 1970s, but deepening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bellamy-foster/for-me-it-is-clear-that-we-are-currently-in-a-period-of-structural/) [John Bellamy Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bellamy-foster/) > [As someone from the working class I was always interested in Russia and China and everything that related to the working class, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/as-someone-from-the-working-class-i-was-always-interested-in-russia/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [Capitalism has created a situation called scarcity. And that scarcity is not natural, it's socially induced. Along with that sense of scarcity, or feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/capitalism-has-created-a-situation-called-scarcity-and-that-scarcity/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [... what we should be looking for is fresh ideas of how we make moral decisions about our dealings with one another, economic, social,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-mccaughey/what-we-should-be-looking-for-is-fresh-ideas-of-how-we-make-moral/) Davis McCaughey > [When you come from a family of communists and you go through your teenage rebellion, what's the best way of rebelling from a family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-browder/when-you-come-from-a-family-of-communists-and-you-go-through-your/) [Bill Browder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-browder/) > [The Enron scandal calls into question the integrity of the entire capitalist system, which previously we assumed was based on honest, straightforward greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-achenbach/the-enron-scandal-calls-into-question-the-integrity-of-the-entire/) [Joel Achenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-achenbach/) > [Human beings were behaving as human beings and not as cogs in the capitalist machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/human-beings-were-behaving-as-human-beings-and-not-as-cogs-in-the/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Beautiful women must think about their beauty as capitalists think about their investments or politicians about their majorities; it is all they have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/beautiful-women-must-think-about-their-beauty-as-capitalists-think/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) Browse all 968 Capitalist quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We weren’t trying to strike it rich with Firefox. 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