--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Crystal-clear thinking is one of the…" description: "\"Crystal-clear thinking is one of the things we look for - not a fancy slide pitch, but crystal-clear thinking.\" — Douglas Leone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/douglas-leone-22054_clear_crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-thi_956251.png" --- # Crystal-clear thinking is one of the things we look for… ![“Crystal-clear thinking is one of the things we look for - not a fancy slide pitch, but crystal-clear thinking.” quote by Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/douglas-leone-22054_clear_crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-thi_956251.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/douglas-leone-22054_clear_crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-thi_956251.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/douglas-leone-22054_clear_crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-thi_956251.png) > “Crystal-clear thinking is one of the things we look for - not a fancy slide pitch, but crystal-clear thinking.” [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clarity beats flashy slides; substance matters. **In simple terms:** Clarity > flash. Key Takeaway Prioritize clear, concise ideas. Themes clarity communication business presentation Mood professional direct Type business instructional When to use this quote - startup pitches - board meetings - investor updates - product demos Key Concepts strategy design psychology Questions to Reflect On - How to balance design and substance? - What makes a pitch crystal clear? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on design can obscure message. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clear thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear-thinking/) [Crystals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crystals/) [Pitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pitch/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Your path and purpose will become crystal clear when you begin to trust your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walsh/your-path-and-purpose-will-become-crystal-clear-when-you-begin-to/) [Bill Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walsh/) > [You will never have enough time to do everything you need to do, so what you need is a crystal clear understanding of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cottrell/you-will-never-have-enough-time-to-do-everything-you-need-to-do-so/) [David Cottrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cottrell/) > [Lectures often confuse our kids, but the example we set is crystal clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/lectures-often-confuse-our-kids-but-the-example-we-set-is-crystal/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [The most powerful purpose statements are crystal clear and single-minded in their focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-spence/the-most-powerful-purpose-statements-are-crystal-clear-and-single/) Roy Spence > [The glance of Love is crystal clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-glance-of-love-is-crystal-clear/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Like all kids who want to be in action movies, I want to jump out of a speeding car, shoot guns, slide out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-roberts/like-all-kids-who-want-to-be-in-action-movies-i-want-to-jump-out-of-a/) [Dallas Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-roberts/) > [I'm glad I get singled out for my slide guitar-playing, which isn't that difficult to do. I didn't take guitar lessons, but I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/i-m-glad-i-get-singled-out-for-my-slide-guitar-playing-which-isn-t/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [When a woman reaches twenty-six in America, she's on the slide. It's downhill all the way from then on. It doesn't give you a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/when-a-woman-reaches-twenty-six-in-america-she-s-on-the-slide-it-s/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [The beautiful thing about when you go through a slide is that you learn from it. Not just saying that you learn from it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-garnett/the-beautiful-thing-about-when-you-go-through-a-slide-is-that-you/) [Kevin Garnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-garnett/) > [Trios aren't really geared for slide unless you're gonna play chords, or play that simple George Thorogood style. It gets pretty thin when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hetfield/trios-aren-t-really-geared-for-slide-unless-you-re-gonna-play-chords/) [James Hetfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hetfield/) > [If death is this brilliant slide, this high, fine music felt as pure vibration, this plunging float in wind and silence, it's not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayne-anne-phillips/if-death-is-this-brilliant-slide-this-high-fine-music-felt-as-pure/) [Jayne Anne Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayne-anne-phillips/) > [It is so easy to get sucked into the if-only game, and playing it is a short and slippery slide into despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-so-easy-to-get-sucked-into-the-if-only-game-and-playing-it-is-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I seem to be able to just sort of sink and slide under the radar, which is nice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-cudmore/i-seem-to-be-able-to-just-sort-of-sink-and-slide-under-the-radar/) [Daniel Cudmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-cudmore/) > [No matter what heights you achieve, even if you're Brad Pitt, the slide is coming, sure as death and taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-caan/no-matter-what-heights-you-achieve-even-if-you-re-brad-pitt-the-slide/) [James Caan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-caan/) > [You don't know a ladder has splinters until you slide down it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bum-phillips/you-don-t-know-a-ladder-has-splinters-until-you-slide-down-it/) [Bum Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bum-phillips/) ## More by Douglas Leone > [If I could press a button and have all of Sequoia Capital on the Midas List, I would choose to do that over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/if-i-could-press-a-button-and-have-all-of-sequoia-capital-on-the/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [We see China as a large market opportunity with similar cyclical economic cycles that occur throughout every economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/we-see-china-as-a-large-market-opportunity-with-similar-cyclical/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [The venture industry is both quite vibrant and quite competitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/the-venture-industry-is-both-quite-vibrant-and-quite-competitive/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [You meet with a CEO or founder. You talk about sales, engineering, product management and give some ideas or suggestions. And the founder quickly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/you-meet-with-a-ceo-or-founder-you-talk-about-sales-engineering/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [We like companies that can get big and powerful on $50 million or less and not two, three, four or five billion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/we-like-companies-that-can-get-big-and-powerful-on-50-million-or-less/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [During dark times, real entrepreneurs come out. They are not competing with 10 look-alike companies for engineering talent, so it's a great time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/during-dark-times-real-entrepreneurs-come-out-they-are-not-competing/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [You have to be willing to risk things; otherwise, somebody else will put you out of business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/you-have-to-be-willing-to-risk-things-otherwise-somebody-else-will/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [We've tried to build Sequoia Capital with an eye for the long term that we really look for in the companies we like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/we-ve-tried-to-build-sequoia-capital-with-an-eye-for-the-long-term/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [If you start a successful company in China at 11 A.M., by 2 P.M. there's three more companies like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/if-you-start-a-successful-company-in-china-at-11-a-m-by-2-p-m-there-s/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [In a globalized world, one application can spread like wildfire and there's only one winning company, which means you have to invest more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/in-a-globalized-world-one-application-can-spread-like-wildfire-and/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [We have co-opted seed funds. You know, Y Combinator, that was completely our money. We have secret handshakes with a whole bunch of people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/we-have-co-opted-seed-funds-you-know-y-combinator-that-was-completely/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [I'll say this: I can't think of one instance in my 20 years in venture capital in which I have wanted to sell a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/i-ll-say-this-i-can-t-think-of-one-instance-in-my-20-years-in-venture/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [The trick is, a market has to be nonexistent when you start. If the market is large early on, you will have too many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/the-trick-is-a-market-has-to-be-nonexistent-when-you-start-if-the/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [We want people who come from humble backgrounds and have a need to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/we-want-people-who-come-from-humble-backgrounds-and-have-a-need-to-win/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [There's a number of companies clearly that we wish we had invested in either at the early or at the moderate stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/there-s-a-number-of-companies-clearly-that-we-wish-we-had-invested-in/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) [Explore all 28 Douglas Leone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) ## More Clear quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Clear moments are so short. There is much more darkness. More ocean than terra firma. More shadow than form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/clear-moments-are-so-short-there-is-much-more-darkness-more-ocean/) [Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/) > [I try to listen to all music with an open head, a clear head, try not to say just because I don't know it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghostface-killah/i-try-to-listen-to-all-music-with-an-open-head-a-clear-head-try-not/) [Ghostface Killah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghostface-killah/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) > [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [I've always made it clear that I do not believe that global government is either necessary or feasible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-always-made-it-clear-that-i-do-not-believe-that-global/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [The moment it begins to question itself, the mind becomes so clear that it starts working with itself rather than with the body's identification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/the-moment-it-begins-to-question-itself-the-mind-becomes-so-clear/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Alec Wilkinson is a spare, clear, and lucid writer who works in stylistic simplicity with material that is not simple at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/alec-wilkinson-is-a-spare-clear-and-lucid-writer-who-works-in/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) Browse all 7,410 Clear quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Crystal-clear thinking is one of the things we look for - not a fancy slide pitch, but crystal-clear thinking.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Leone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-things-we-look-for-not-a-fancy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clear" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-things-we-look-for-not-a-fancy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/douglas-leone-22054_clear_crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-thi_956251.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/douglas-leone-22054_clear_crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-thi_956251.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/douglas-leone-22054_clear_crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-thi_956251.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Crystal-clear thinking is one of the things we look for - not a fancy slide pitch, but crystal-clear thinking.” — Douglas Leone", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Douglas Leone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Crystal-clear thinking is one of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-things-we-look-for-not-a-fancy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/crystal-clear-thinking-is-one-of-the-things-we-look-for-not-a-fancy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```