--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a standard thing you hear from…" description: "\"It's a standard thing you hear from startup people - that their product is somehow improving the world. And if you follow the reasoning, you will get s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/cathy-o-neil-11478_building_it-s-a-standard-thing-you-hear-from-star_549906.jpg" --- # It's a standard thing you hear from startup people - that… ![“It's a standard thing you hear from startup people - that their product is somehow improving the world. And if you follow the reasoning, you will get somewhere, and I'll tell you where you get: You'll get to the description of what happens to the winners under the system that they're building.” quote by Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/cathy-o-neil-11478_building_it-s-a-standard-thing-you-hear-from-star_549906.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/cathy-o-neil-11478_building_it-s-a-standard-thing-you-hear-from-star_549906.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/cathy-o-neil-11478_building_it-s-a-standard-thing-you-hear-from-star_549906.jpg) > “It's a standard thing you hear from startup people - that their product is somehow improving the world. And if you follow the reasoning, you will get somewhere, and I'll tell you where you get: You'll get to the description of what happens to the winners under the system that they're building.” [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The claim that a product improves the world often masks how it reinforces existing power structures and benefits winners. **In simple terms:** Tech hype hides systemic bias. Key Takeaway Question who truly benefits. Themes technology power ethics Mood critical skeptical Type analytical cautionary When to use this quote - investor pitches - product launches - policy debates - consumer choices Key Concepts systemic bias winner‑take‑all social impact Questions to Reflect On - Who gains and who loses? - How can we measure real impact? A Different Perspective It may overlook unintended negative consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reasoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoning/) [Startup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup/) [Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winner/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [When you’re in a startup, the first ten people will determine whether the company succeeds or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-re-in-a-startup-the-first-ten-people-will-determine-whether/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [In the early days of a startup, people's compensation is whatever you negotiate with a founder and it's all over the place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/in-the-early-days-of-a-startup-people-s-compensation-is-whatever-you/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [“Testing does not improve a product; the improving is done by people fixing the bugs that testing has uncovered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-m-weinberg/testing-does-not-improve-a-product-the-improving-is-done-by-people/) [Gerald M. Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-m-weinberg/) > [Philanthropy is not about the money. It's about using whatever resources you have at your fingertips and applying them to improving the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melinda-gates/philanthropy-is-not-about-the-money-it-s-about-using-whatever/) [Melinda Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melinda-gates/) > [By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-improving-yourself-the-world-is-made-better-be-not-afraid-of/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Music and improving the world are two sides of the same coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varg-vikernes/music-and-improving-the-world-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/) [Varg Vikernes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varg-vikernes/) > [The downstream effects are unknown. Do your best and hope for the best. If you're improving the world-however you define that-consider your job well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/the-downstream-effects-are-unknown-do-your-best-and-hope-for-the-best/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [Today, making money is very simple. But making sustainable money while being responsible to the society and improving the world is very difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/today-making-money-is-very-simple-but-making-sustainable-money-while/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Improving the world can be a nasty and ugly and difficult and dangerous business...because when you improve the world, you threaten the entrenched interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/improving-the-world-can-be-a-nasty-and-ugly-and-difficult-and/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [“I was not merely cleaning an oven; I was improving the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnostic-zetetic/i-was-not-merely-cleaning-an-oven-i-was-improving-the-world/) Agnostic Zetetic > [The question really is, are you improving the world? And you can do that in many models. You can do that in government, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/the-question-really-is-are-you-improving-the-world-and-you-can-do/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [No matter what your mission is, have some notion in your head. Forget the model, whether it's government or nonprofit or profit. Ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/no-matter-what-your-mission-is-have-some-notion-in-your-head-forget/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [“When we better ourselves we are improving our world!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-zapata/when-we-better-ourselves-we-are-improving-our-world/) [Isa Zapata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-zapata/) > [I would like, then, to end by putting in a good word for the non-industrious poor. At least they aren’t hurting anyone. Insofar as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/i-would-like-then-to-end-by-putting-in-a-good-word-for-the-non/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Cathy O'Neil > [ With recidivism algorithms, for example, I worry about racist outcomes. With personality tests \[for hiring\], I worry about filtering out people with mental health… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/with-recidivism-algorithms-for-example-i-worry-about-racist-outcomes/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [“They draw statistical correlations between a person’s zip code or language patterns and her potential to pay back a loan or handle a job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/they-draw-statistical-correlations-between-a-person-s-zip-code-or/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [I don't think anybody's ever notified that they were sentenced to an extra two years because their recidivism score had been high, or notified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/i-don-t-think-anybody-s-ever-notified-that-they-were-sentenced-to-an/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [The national conversation around white entitlement, around institutionalized racism, the Black Lives Matter movement, I think, came about in large part because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-national-conversation-around-white-entitlement-around/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [“model’s blind spots reflect the judgments and priorities of its creators. While the choices in Google Maps and avionics software appear cut and dried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgments-and-priorities-of-its/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [I would argue that one of the major problems with our blind trust in algorithms is that we can propagate discriminatory patterns without acknowledging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/i-would-argue-that-one-of-the-major-problems-with-our-blind-trust-in/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [We've learned our lesson with finance because they made a huge goddamn explosion that almost shut down the world. But the thing I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/we-ve-learned-our-lesson-with-finance-because-they-made-a-huge/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [“Employers, for example, are increasingly using credit scores to evaluate potential hires. Those who pay their bills promptly, the thinking goes, are more likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/employers-for-example-are-increasingly-using-credit-scores-to/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [Google is so big you have no idea what a given person does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/google-is-so-big-you-have-no-idea-what-a-given-person-does/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [The NSA buys data from private companies, so the private companies are the source of all this stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-nsa-buys-data-from-private-companies-so-the-private-companies-are/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [“The algorithms would make sure that those deemed losers would remain that way. A lucky minority would gain ever more control over the data…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-algorithms-would-make-sure-that-those-deemed-losers-would-remain/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [“As we’ve seen, they (the companies) routinely reject applicants on the basis of credit scores and personality tests. Health scores represent a natural—and frightening—next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/as-we-ve-seen-they-the-companies-routinely-reject-applicants-on-the/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [We don't let a car company just throw out a car and start driving it around without checking that the wheels are fastened on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/we-don-t-let-a-car-company-just-throw-out-a-car-and-start-driving-it/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [The public trusts big data way too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-public-trusts-big-data-way-too-much/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [My fantasy is that there is a new regulatory body that is in charge of algorithmic auditing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/my-fantasy-is-that-there-is-a-new-regulatory-body-that-is-in-charge/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) [Explore all 59 Cathy O'Neil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a standard thing you hear from startup people - that their product is somehow improving the world. 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