--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're not motivated by money. We are into…" description: "\"We're not motivated by money. We are into this thing that we're building.\" — David Karp" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/david-karp-21194_building_we-re-not-motivated-by-money-we-are-into_415002.jpg" --- # We're not motivated by money. We are into this thing that… ![“We're not motivated by money. We are into this thing that we're building.” quote by David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/david-karp-21194_building_we-re-not-motivated-by-money-we-are-into_415002.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/david-karp-21194_building_we-re-not-motivated-by-money-we-are-into_415002.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/david-karp-21194_building_we-re-not-motivated-by-money-we-are-into_415002.jpg) > “We're not motivated by money. We are into this thing that we're building.” [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Passion for the product outweighs financial incentives; purpose drives commitment. **In simple terms:** Purpose beats money. Key Takeaway Focus on mission, not pay. Themes purpose motivation entrepreneurship Mood determined inspired Type motivational business When to use this quote - startup building - product development - team alignment Key Concepts intrinsic motivation mission‑driven work Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep purpose alive when funding is tight? - What non‑monetary rewards sustain you? A Different Perspective Money can still influence decisions and sustainability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) ## Related quotes > [I've never been motivated by money. My peers and colleagues inspire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-chase/i-ve-never-been-motivated-by-money-my-peers-and-colleagues-inspire-me/) [Robin Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-chase/) > [In a strange way, architecture is really an unfinished thing, because even though the building is finished, it takes on a new life. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-libeskind/in-a-strange-way-architecture-is-really-an-unfinished-thing-because/) [Daniel Libeskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-libeskind/) > [If we were motivated by money, we would have sold the company a long time ago and ended up on a beach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/if-we-were-motivated-by-money-we-would-have-sold-the-company-a-long/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [For me, it's about the tennis and the trophies. I'm not motivated by money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-wozniacki/for-me-it-s-about-the-tennis-and-the-trophies-i-m-not-motivated-by/) [Caroline Wozniacki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-wozniacki/) > [All the most successful people nowadays who are truly successful and innovative in their field are not people motivated by money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/all-the-most-successful-people-nowadays-who-are-truly-successful-and/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I've never been motivated by the money, always by the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/i-ve-never-been-motivated-by-the-money-always-by-the-work/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [There are more important things than money. If I were motivated by money, I could have sold these documents to any number of countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-are-more-important-things-than-money-if-i-were-motivated-by/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I'm not motivated by money or fame. I'm more driven by the electricity of creativity. The idea of being one of the legends that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vic-mensa/i-m-not-motivated-by-money-or-fame-i-m-more-driven-by-the-electricity/) [Vic Mensa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vic-mensa/) > [“I’ve never been motivated by money – it doesn’t drive Me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/i-ve-never-been-motivated-by-money-it-doesn-t-drive-me/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“As for the politicians, like everyone else in America, they were motivated by money, not ideals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/as-for-the-politicians-like-everyone-else-in-america-they-were/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I'm not motivated by money and I never really have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-aries/i-m-not-motivated-by-money-and-i-never-really-have-been/) [Austin Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-aries/) > [Some people are motivated by money - I'm not one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-kane/some-people-are-motivated-by-money-i-m-not-one-of-them/) [Harry Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-kane/) > [I am not motivated by money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/i-am-not-motivated-by-money/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I was never motivated by money. I wanted to be an FA Cup finalist. I wanted to walk up the steps at Wembley. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-scott/i-was-never-motivated-by-money-i-wanted-to-be-an-fa-cup-finalist-i/) [Alex Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-scott/) > [“I began writing late; my first articles and stories were published after I was thirty, and I was motivated by money. Money is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-v-carey/i-began-writing-late-my-first-articles-and-stories-were-published/) M.V. Carey ## More by David Karp > [We've tried to keep as cheap and lean an operation as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/we-ve-tried-to-keep-as-cheap-and-lean-an-operation-as-possible/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Our team isn’t changing. … And our mission – to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/our-team-isn-t-changing-and-our-mission-to-empower-creators-to-make/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Reading for me will be a combination of books, magazines, Tumblr, and just kind of the Web in general on the iPad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/reading-for-me-will-be-a-combination-of-books-magazines-tumblr-and/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [You guys are more talented than anyone in the Tumblr office or in Palo Alto or Sunnyvale. We're constantly in awe, constantly in service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/you-guys-are-more-talented-than-anyone-in-the-tumblr-office-or-in/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [We couldn't be happier with our Storyboard team's effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/we-couldn-t-be-happier-with-our-storyboard-team-s-effort/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I'm always so surprised when people fill their homes up with stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/i-m-always-so-surprised-when-people-fill-their-homes-up-with-stuff/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [People tell me I need an assistant, but I dont want one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/people-tell-me-i-need-an-assistant-but-i-dont-want-one/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [The more people we have on our team. the less room there is in the elevator and the more complicated everything gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/the-more-people-we-have-on-our-team-the-less-room-there-is-in-the/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I'm very antischedule. Except for board meetings, I don't really schedule things or keep a calendar. I think appointments are caustic to creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/i-m-very-antischedule-except-for-board-meetings-i-don-t-really/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/entrepreneur-is-someone-who-has-a-vision-for-something-and-a-want-to/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [The biggest lesson has been the importance of constantly repeating the mission. It means bringing the team together every week to talk about all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/the-biggest-lesson-has-been-the-importance-of-constantly-repeating/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Find a space where you can be creative and a place where you are open for free thinking, you want to enjoy what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/find-a-space-where-you-can-be-creative-and-a-place-where-you-are-open/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [Every feature has some maintenance cost, and having fewer features lets us focus on the ones we care about and make sure they work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/every-feature-has-some-maintenance-cost-and-having-fewer-features/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I've found that if you're not responsive to e-mail, it trains people to leave you alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/i-ve-found-that-if-you-re-not-responsive-to-e-mail-it-trains-people/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) > [I want to build something I’d be happy to be employed by 10 years out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-karp/i-want-to-build-something-i-d-be-happy-to-be-employed-by-10-years-out/) [David Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) [Explore all 29 David Karp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-karp/) ## 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": "We're not motivated by money. 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