--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of my earliest ventures was when I…" description: "\"One of my earliest ventures was when I was nine years old. I realized there was a shortage of pencils at school, so I started Rent-a-Pencil. But I made..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b77/bruce-dickinson-9511_failure_one-of-my-earliest-ventures-was-when-i-w_1048353.jpg" --- # One of my earliest ventures was when I was nine years old… ![“One of my earliest ventures was when I was nine years old. I realized there was a shortage of pencils at school, so I started Rent-a-Pencil. But I made a fundamental mistake. Everybody stole my pencils.” quote by Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b77/bruce-dickinson-9511_failure_one-of-my-earliest-ventures-was-when-i-w_1048353.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b77/bruce-dickinson-9511_failure_one-of-my-earliest-ventures-was-when-i-w_1048353.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b77/bruce-dickinson-9511_failure_one-of-my-earliest-ventures-was-when-i-w_1048353.jpg) > “One of my earliest ventures was when I was nine years old. I realized there was a shortage of pencils at school, so I started Rent-a-Pencil. But I made a fundamental mistake. Everybody stole my pencils.” [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child entrepreneur identified a need, created a solution, but failed to protect it, leading to loss. **In simple terms:** Kids can spot problems and act, but need safeguards. Key Takeaway Plan protection when launching ideas. Themes entrepreneurship learning risk innovation Mood reflective cautious Type anecdotal lesson. When to use this quote - school supply - child business - product launch - loss prevention Key Concepts problem solving trust security Questions to Reflect On - How would you protect a simple product? - What safeguards are essential for new ventures? A Different Perspective Without safeguards, even good ideas can be exploited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [You know what I was thinking about on my way home? 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I was in the theatre for nine years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/the-old-guys-like-me-started-in-the-theatre-i-was-in-the-theatre-for/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [It has been nine years since the Supreme Court decision outlawing segregated schools, yet less than ten per cent of the Negro students in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/it-has-been-nine-years-since-the-supreme-court-decision-outlawing/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I started publishing stories in small magazines early on, but after seven or eight or nine years you feel like you need a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/i-started-publishing-stories-in-small-magazines-early-on-but-after/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [I have been doing this since I was nine years old. So whatever the role is, I am going to do the best I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-mccrary/i-have-been-doing-this-since-i-was-nine-years-old-so-whatever-the/) [Darius McCrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-mccrary/) > [The birth of a true poet is neither an insignificant event nor an easy delivery. Complications generally begin long before the fated soul carries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-birth-of-a-true-poet-is-neither-an-insignificant-event-nor-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I've learned anything in twenty-nine years, it's that every human being you see in the course of a day has a problem that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/if-i-ve-learned-anything-in-twenty-nine-years-it-s-that-every-human/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Since I spent eighteen years of my life as a child, and nine years of that life as a pretty sexually active gay child,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/since-i-spent-eighteen-years-of-my-life-as-a-child-and-nine-years-of/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [I was called a bookish child. Mother sent me to a ballet teacher in Cincinnati when I was nine years old. I guess I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-ellen/i-was-called-a-bookish-child-mother-sent-me-to-a-ballet-teacher-in/) [Vera-Ellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-ellen/) > [You go ahead. I'd rather not be shot out of a tube into a pool filled with a bunch of nine-year-olds' urine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-halpern/you-go-ahead-i-d-rather-not-be-shot-out-of-a-tube-into-a-pool-filled/) [Justin Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-halpern/) > [My mom taught me to read when I was two or three. When I was five I read and wrote well enough to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-abani/my-mom-taught-me-to-read-when-i-was-two-or-three-when-i-was-five-i/) [Chris Abani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-abani/) > [Because nine years ago, I walked up to the most beautiful girl in the bar, and tonight she's still the only person I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/because-nine-years-ago-i-walked-up-to-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-the/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-since-i-was-nine-years-old/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I intend to be, the richest man in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-hughes/i-intend-to-be-the-richest-man-in-the-world/) [Howard Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-hughes/) > [I've been here for nine years, and over that time, these people have become like my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-lawler/i-ve-been-here-for-nine-years-and-over-that-time-these-people-have/) [Jerry Lawler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-lawler/) ## More by Bruce Dickinson > [Im a ham. I was immediately attracted to fencing because it seemed like a romantic, melodramatic form of combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/im-a-ham-i-was-immediately-attracted-to-fencing-because-it-seemed/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [A guy called Arthur Brown... was a big influence of mine... and also Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/a-guy-called-arthur-brown-was-a-big-influence-of-mine-and-also-ian/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [There are a lot of stuff on the record that I am thinking is generic but actually it is just as good as everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/there-are-a-lot-of-stuff-on-the-record-that-i-am-thinking-is-generic/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [If your only arbiter of anything is money, really you should... go and rob banks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/if-your-only-arbiter-of-anything-is-money-really-you-should-go-and/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [With the Internet, bands can come and go every five minutes and the music looks disposable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/with-the-internet-bands-can-come-and-go-every-five-minutes-and-the/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [If you really want to annoy me, ask me when I'm going to retire from rock n' roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/if-you-really-want-to-annoy-me-ask-me-when-i-m-going-to-retire-from/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [The more guitars we have onstage the better, as I'm concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/the-more-guitars-we-have-onstage-the-better-as-i-m-concerned/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [When you cut human beings down to size, we're really quite simple creatures; food, shelter, warmth, light, heat and you build it up from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/when-you-cut-human-beings-down-to-size-we-re-really-quite-simple/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [Don't ask me to put up a shelf, but I love engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/don-t-ask-me-to-put-up-a-shelf-but-i-love-engineering/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [Business is just about enabling human beings, nothing more, nothing less. Businesses need to recognize this fundamental fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/business-is-just-about-enabling-human-beings-nothing-more-nothing/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [There are basically two categories of music: Metal and bullshit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/there-are-basically-two-categories-of-music-metal-and-bullshit/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [In my teenage years I was put off the idea of a career in flying, because I'd convinced myself that you had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/in-my-teenage-years-i-was-put-off-the-idea-of-a-career-in-flying/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [A few of these interviews have gone slightly awry, because every now and again there has been the odd conflict of interest between interviews…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/a-few-of-these-interviews-have-gone-slightly-awry-because-every-now/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [Major labels blow all their money massively and blame it on the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/major-labels-blow-all-their-money-massively-and-blame-it-on-the-band/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [King in Crimson is actually an alchemical term. King Crimson is a metaphor for Devil or Satan, but at the same time it's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/king-in-crimson-is-actually-an-alchemical-term-king-crimson-is-a/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) [Explore all 72 Bruce Dickinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of my earliest ventures was when I was nine years old. 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