--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Quite often startups were first out of…" description: "\"Quite often startups were first out of the gate with a sustaining technology. But somehow the leaders got the technology and stayed atop their industri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/clayton-christensen-2433_entrepreneurship_quite-often-startups-were-first-out-of-t_1899102.png" --- # Quite often startups were first out of the gate with a… ![“Quite often startups were first out of the gate with a sustaining technology. But somehow the leaders got the technology and stayed atop their industries. Sometimes they acquired the startup; sometimes they just developed the technology as a follower and used their muscle and mass to win. But they…” quote by Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/clayton-christensen-2433_entrepreneurship_quite-often-startups-were-first-out-of-t_1899102.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/clayton-christensen-2433_entrepreneurship_quite-often-startups-were-first-out-of-t_1899102.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/clayton-christensen-2433_entrepreneurship_quite-often-startups-were-first-out-of-t_1899102.png) > “Quite often startups were first out of the gate with a sustaining technology. But somehow the leaders got the technology and stayed atop their industries. Sometimes they acquired the startup; sometimes they just developed the technology as a follower and used their muscle and mass to win. But they always won.” [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders with established tech often acquire or mimic startups, using scale to dominate, but this can stifle true innovation. **In simple terms:** Big firms win by buying or copying new tech. Key Takeaway Beware of relying on acquisition over creation. Themes innovation competition market dynamics leadership Mood analytical critical Type business strategic When to use this quote - corporate strategy meetings - venture capital decisions - product development - industry analysis Key Concepts business strategy disruption economics Questions to Reflect On - What are the risks of growing through acquisition? - How can large firms foster internal disruptive innovation? A Different Perspective Acquisitions may not capture the startup’s culture or agility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Followers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followers/) [Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gates/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Muscles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muscles/) [Quite Startups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite-startups-2791267/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Startups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startups/) [Sustaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sustaining/) [Sustaining Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sustaining-technology-2269269/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Technology Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology-leaders-2514219/) [Technology Stayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology-stayed-2791266/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [In most instances, biotechnology, though a radically different approach, is a sustaining technology: It's a dramatically improved way of targeting problems that we hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/in-most-instances-biotechnology-though-a-radically-different-approach/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [In the category of economic superpowers, more is better than less - the more technology those leaders develop, the more we all benefit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-c-prescott/in-the-category-of-economic-superpowers-more-is-better-than-less-the/) [Edward C. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-c-prescott/) > [It is always great to see technology leaders like Ginni Rometty, Marissa Mayer, and Meg Whitman breaking through as a new generation of leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/it-is-always-great-to-see-technology-leaders-like-ginni-rometty/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [A lot has been written about the Internet bust. From my point of view, it's quite clear the Internet isn't a category; the Internet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/a-lot-has-been-written-about-the-internet-bust-from-my-point-of-view/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [A sustaining innovation makes better products that you can sell for better profits to your best customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/a-sustaining-innovation-makes-better-products-that-you-can-sell-for/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [“Chase the needs, and you are halfway to entrepreneurship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagadish-varadharajan/chase-the-needs-and-you-are-halfway-to-entrepreneurship/) [Jagadish Varadharajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagadish-varadharajan/) > [It's hard to tell with these Internet startups if they're really interested in building companies or if they're just interested in the money. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-hard-to-tell-with-these-internet-startups-if-they-re-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/zen-is-not-some-fancy-special-art-of-living-our-teaching-is-just-to/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [My attitude is there are at least hundreds of interesting startups that are going to get going in every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/my-attitude-is-there-are-at-least-hundreds-of-interesting-startups/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [The thing that kills startups at some level, is the founders giving up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-thing-that-kills-startups-at-some-level-is-the-founders-giving-up/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Cool innovation might happen in startups, but they often lack the resources or the deep expertise in the problems they want to address.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/cool-innovation-might-happen-in-startups-but-they-often-lack-the/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [One thing I tell startups all the time is that the best way to grow is to make their product better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-thing-i-tell-startups-all-the-time-is-that-the-best-way-to-grow/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [“Amidst all the hype and hoopla around this business, I wanted to emphasize the challenge—it is seductive but the failure rate is very high.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahendra-ramsinghani/amidst-all-the-hype-and-hoopla-around-this-business-i-wanted-to/) [Mahendra Ramsinghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahendra-ramsinghani/) > [“A lot of the machines that Google is built on—commodity is the polite word for them—they're regular PCs and so they're not always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-livingston/a-lot-of-the-machines-that-google-is-built-on-commodity-is-the-polite/) [Jessica Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-livingston/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) ## More by Clayton Christensen > [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [In our lives and in our careers, whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly navigating a path by deciding between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/in-our-lives-and-in-our-careers-whether-we-are-aware-of-it-or-not-we/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Many of the factors that we think will cause motivation, such as fair pay and a good manager, won't make you love your job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/many-of-the-factors-that-we-think-will-cause-motivation-such-as-fair/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [People in private equity complain that they have so much capital and so few places to invest. But you have lots of entrepreneurs trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/people-in-private-equity-complain-that-they-have-so-much-capital-and/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [If you're successful and growing, you can manage any way you want to. Growth makes so many dimensions of management easier. It's when growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/if-you-re-successful-and-growing-you-can-manage-any-way-you-want-to/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [A sustaining innovation makes better products that you can sell for better profits to your best customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/a-sustaining-innovation-makes-better-products-that-you-can-sell-for/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Purpose must be deliberately conceived and chosen, and then pursued.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/purpose-must-be-deliberately-conceived-and-chosen-and-then-pursued/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [The mistake that makes launching a venture expensive is when you try to make a disruptive technology so good that it can compete on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/the-mistake-that-makes-launching-a-venture-expensive-is-when-you-try/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [What you need is a fundamental humility - the belief that you can learn from anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/what-you-need-is-a-fundamental-humility-the-belief-that-you-can-learn/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [This is why I belong, and why I believe. I commend to all this same search for happiness and for the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/this-is-why-i-belong-and-why-i-believe-i-commend-to-all-this-same/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I think this is one reason why the Lord invented the Internet - so members can teach one another how to succeed in assignments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/i-think-this-is-one-reason-why-the-lord-invented-the-internet-so/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Because these firms listened to their customers, invested aggressively in new technologies that would provide their customers more and better products of the sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/because-these-firms-listened-to-their-customers-invested-aggressively/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [At the beginning of almost every industry, the available products and services are so expensive to own and complicated to use that only people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/at-the-beginning-of-almost-every-industry-the-available-products-and/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Management has to provide the coordinating mechanism between what the supplier provides and what the user needs in not-good-enough situations where product architecture is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/management-has-to-provide-the-coordinating-mechanism-between-what-the/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [When you're thinking about your next product or current product and wondering how to make it different so you don't have competition, understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/when-you-re-thinking-about-your-next-product-or-current-product-and/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) [Explore all 166 Clayton Christensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) ## More Entrepreneurship quotes > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“So Mack got kind of a late start in the startup world—he founded TakeOff at the ripe old age of twenty-five”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doree-shafrir/so-mack-got-kind-of-a-late-start-in-the-startup-world-he-founded/) [Doree Shafrir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doree-shafrir/) > [“I would have been trying to pitch a concept about my community to someone that most likely was not a part of that community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-tyler/i-would-have-been-trying-to-pitch-a-concept-about-my-community-to/) [Lamar Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-tyler/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) > [Stalking is an underrated startup strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rottenberg/stalking-is-an-underrated-startup-strategy/) [Linda Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rottenberg/) > [What is entrepreneurship, after all? Bigness is not the issue. Poor people are the ones who take challenges every day. The guy who sells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/what-is-entrepreneurship-after-all-bigness-is-not-the-issue-poor/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [“I am a Software engineer by profession, Photographer by passion and An entrepreneur by Thinking ...! CEO, Founder of www.bibliofreaks.com - The online store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ganesh/i-am-a-software-engineer-by-profession-photographer-by-passion-and-an/) [Ganesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ganesh/) > [“Every founder has a plan until it’s time to launch. I launch first and plan later, we’re not the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-bekoe/every-founder-has-a-plan-until-it-s-time-to-launch-i-launch-first-and/) [Marion Bekoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-bekoe/) > [“A responsible woman doesn’t see opportunities and needs and look the other way pretending not to see them rather she gets to work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e/a-responsible-woman-doesn-t-see-opportunities-and-needs-and-look-the/) [Agu Jaachynma N.E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agu-jaachynma-n-e/) > [Friends don't always make the best of business partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-campbell/friends-don-t-always-make-the-best-of-business-partners/) [Chris Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-campbell/) > [The big thing was realizing for myself that I had tied my ego to the outcomes and to startups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kan/the-big-thing-was-realizing-for-myself-that-i-had-tied-my-ego-to-the/) [Justin Kan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kan/) > [“Personally, I believe in tools that close the gap between professionals and beginners, understanding that — push comes to shove — this is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-busche/personally-i-believe-in-tools-that-close-the-gap-between/) [Laura Busche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-busche/) > [Entrepreneurship is the very back bone of our country and what makes us great - we are a nation of founders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/entrepreneurship-is-the-very-back-bone-of-our-country-and-what-makes/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [We must never lose sight of the fact that we must take part in the development, not only of ourselves but of all humanity...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/we-must-never-lose-sight-of-the-fact-that-we-must-take-part-in-the/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) [Browse all 1,735 Entrepreneurship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Quite often startups were first out of the gate with a sustaining technology. 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