--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started in the business in 1999…" description: "\"When I started in the business in 1999 and 2000, we had companies that were going public in two, three or four years.\" — David Sze" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/david-sze-29092_business_when-i-started-in-the-business-in-1999-a_2260157.jpg" --- # When I started in the business in 1999 and 2000, we had… ![“When I started in the business in 1999 and 2000, we had companies that were going public in two, three or four years.” quote by David Sze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/david-sze-29092_business_when-i-started-in-the-business-in-1999-a_2260157.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/david-sze-29092_business_when-i-started-in-the-business-in-1999-a_2260157.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/david-sze-29092_business_when-i-started-in-the-business-in-1999-a_2260157.jpg) > “When I started in the business in 1999 and 2000, we had companies that were going public in two, three or four years.” [David Sze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sze/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early‑stage tech companies once expected rapid IPOs, but market realities now demand longer growth periods. **In simple terms:** Tech startups now need more time before going public. Key Takeaway Plan for sustainable growth before seeking an IPO. Themes entrepreneurship investment market cycles Mood cautious realistic Type analytical advisory When to use this quote - startup fundraising - IPO planning - long‑term business modeling Key Concepts valuation growth strategy capital markets Questions to Reflect On - What strategies can startups use to extend their growth runway? - How do investors adjust expectations for longer timelines? A Different Perspective Rapid IPO expectations can create unsustainable pressure on companies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) ## Related quotes > [For some companies, going public makes the most sense. For others, remaining private is preferable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-ramaswamy/for-some-companies-going-public-makes-the-most-sense-for-others/) [Vivek Ramaswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-ramaswamy/) > [These record companies are going to be going out of business pretty soon, because people are just going to be downloading what they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bowie/these-record-companies-are-going-to-be-going-out-of-business-pretty/) [Lester Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bowie/) > [It isn't that every company is going to be successful. The law of averages shows that 80% of companies are going to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-carter/it-isn-t-that-every-company-is-going-to-be-successful-the-law-of/) [Troy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-carter/) > [The best way to look at any business is from the standpoint of the clients. So there are these certain basic things that aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/the-best-way-to-look-at-any-business-is-from-the-standpoint-of-the/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > ["No one is doing what we're doing." This is a bummer of a lie because there are only two logical conclusions. First, no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/no-one-is-doing-what-we-re-doing-this-is-a-bummer-of-a-lie-because/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [Large companies are not going to disappear. Multinational companies with tens of thousands of employees are not going to disappear. 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Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [If you've got two great companies, rather than going at it head to head, let's work together and, at the end of the day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-scurll/if-you-ve-got-two-great-companies-rather-than-going-at-it-head-to/) [Marty Scurll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-scurll/) > [So all of these companies that are going for the big growth, if it continues for any length of time, will outlast their resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/so-all-of-these-companies-that-are-going-for-the-big-growth-if-it/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [ \[Companies\] are not going to be leaving, go to another country, make the product, sell it into the United States, and all we end… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/companies-are-not-going-to-be-leaving-go-to-another-country-make-the/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [There will come a time and place it will be appropriate for us to consider going public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-c-griffin/there-will-come-a-time-and-place-it-will-be-appropriate-for-us-to/) [Kenneth C. Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-c-griffin/) > [Try being my size and going into a public restroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-barty/try-being-my-size-and-going-into-a-public-restroom/) [Billy Barty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-barty/) > [Going public for the sake of going public is not really an optimal thing. You're going public because as a company you believe it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-weiner/going-public-for-the-sake-of-going-public-is-not-really-an-optimal/) [Jeff Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-weiner/) > [I think there's nothing new going on. Except that, you're even more public than you've ever been.There's some good and some bad to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-think-there-s-nothing-new-going-on-except-that-you-re-even-more/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [I have an ego like anybody else, but I don't need to be stoked by going before the public all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/i-have-an-ego-like-anybody-else-but-i-don-t-need-to-be-stoked-by/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by David Sze > [College is a magic time. Yes, youre young and fickle, but you want to be part of this college experience... 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The scary thing is you need to get an 'A' in every discipline.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sze/there-s-a-final-exam-in-venture-every-four-to-six-years-the-scary/) [David Sze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sze/) [Explore all 18 David Sze quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sze/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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