Business Quote by Ed Catmull
““When a new company is formed, its founders must have a startup mentality—a beginner’s mind, open to everything because, well, what do they have to lose? (This is often something they later look back upon wistfully.) But when that company becomes successful, its leaders often cast off that startup mentality because, they tell themselves, they have figured out what to do. They don’t want to be beginners anymore. That may be human nature, but I believe it is a part of our nature that should be resisted. By resisting the beginner’s mind, you make yourself more prone to repeat yourself than to create something new. The attempt to avoid failure, in other words, makes failure more likely.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Innovation, 2015
Successful companies often lose the openness of a beginner’s mind, leading to repeated mistakes and stifled creativity.
In simple terms: Losing beginner’s openness repeats mistakes.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate a beginner’s mindset always.
Themes
innovation
growth
humility
leadership
learning
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- product development
- team brainstorming
- strategic pivots
- personal growth
Key Concepts
mindset
cognitive bias
organizational culture
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders maintain curiosity after success?
- What practices keep a team open to new ideas?
A Different Perspective
Beginners may lack experience, risking poor decisions.
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![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)