--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I learned with tech companies is I…" description: "\"What I learned with tech companies is I gotta give people room to experiment, and also to make what might later on be a mistake. This is the attitude I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/ed-lee-58719_also_what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i_1003982.jpg" --- # What I learned with tech companies is I gotta give people… ![“What I learned with tech companies is I gotta give people room to experiment, and also to make what might later on be a mistake. This is the attitude I want to build within San Francisco - give some time to the tech community.” quote by Ed Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/ed-lee-58719_also_what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i_1003982.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/ed-lee-58719_also_what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i_1003982.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/ed-lee-58719_also_what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i_1003982.jpg) > “What I learned with tech companies is I gotta give people room to experiment, and also to make what might later on be a mistake. This is the attitude I want to build within San Francisco - give some time to the tech community.” [Ed Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encouraging experimentation and tolerating mistakes fosters innovation; giving time and space to tech community drives progress. **In simple terms:** Allow room for trial and error to spark innovation. Key Takeaway Support experimental culture. Themes innovation leadership risk-taking Mood optimistic pragmatic Type advice motivational When to use this quote - startup incubators - policy making - public funding - community workshops - tech events Key Concepts entrepreneurship city planning technology ecosystems Questions to Reflect On - How can cities balance freedom and accountability? - What safeguards ensure experiments benefit the community? A Different Perspective Too much freedom may lead to wasted resources without guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Experiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiment/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) [Tech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tech/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [I like the idea that you can paint something outdoors, and anyone can see it. It's open to anyone, and people have to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mcgee/i-like-the-idea-that-you-can-paint-something-outdoors-and-anyone-can/) [Barry McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mcgee/) > [When you work with web design companies in San Francisco, you end up with a bunch of twenty-somethings who have their own cultural peculiarities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-laurel/when-you-work-with-web-design-companies-in-san-francisco-you-end-up/) [Brenda Laurel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-laurel/) > [When I was nine, we moved to Stanford University in San Francisco so that my father could do a Ph.D. I went to Terman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lawrence/when-i-was-nine-we-moved-to-stanford-university-in-san-francisco-so/) [Caroline Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lawrence/) > [I'd always wanted to live in San Francisco, and my circumstances never permitted it. I'm so happy I made the move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/i-d-always-wanted-to-live-in-san-francisco-and-my-circumstances-never/) [Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/) > [San Francisco is a city of twenty-something millionaire white kids named Doug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/san-francisco-is-a-city-of-twenty-something-millionaire-white-kids/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [People ask me if I ever get sick of playing 'Daydream Believer' or whatever. But I don't look at it that way. Do they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-jones/people-ask-me-if-i-ever-get-sick-of-playing-daydream-believer-or/) [Davy Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-jones/) > [I grew up not liking coffee, even though I'm from Brazil. Then I realized when I moved to San Francisco that it's not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krieger/i-grew-up-not-liking-coffee-even-though-i-m-from-brazil-then-i/) [Mike Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krieger/) > [Should hostilities once break out between Japan and the United States, it is not enough that we take Guam and the Philippines, nor even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isoroku-yamamoto/should-hostilities-once-break-out-between-japan-and-the-united-states/) [Isoroku Yamamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isoroku-yamamoto/) > [Monterey, I remember, but I seem to remember the Fillmore West, that we played the week before Monterey. That was much more memorable for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/monterey-i-remember-but-i-seem-to-remember-the-fillmore-west-that-we/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [In L.A., a lot of comics live here, but we don't get to spend that much time together because we've got to drive 45…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bamford/in-l-a-a-lot-of-comics-live-here-but-we-don-t-get-to-spend-that-much/) [Maria Bamford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bamford/) > [I'm originally from San Francisco. I might move there some day. But, I like L.A., I have fun in L.A. It's a fun town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rockwell/i-m-originally-from-san-francisco-i-might-move-there-some-day-but-i/) [Sam Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rockwell/) > [Our album 'Show No Mercy' came out in late '83, and we did three or four shows in San Francisco after the release. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-araya/our-album-show-no-mercy-came-out-in-late-83-and-we-did-three-or-four/) [Tom Araya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-araya/) > [My family moved a lot as a kid. We started in Colorado, where I lived for five years. We moved to Chicago for two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/my-family-moved-a-lot-as-a-kid-we-started-in-colorado-where-i-lived/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I'm from San Francisco.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-fineman/i-m-from-san-francisco/) [Chloe Fineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-fineman/) ## More by Ed Lee > [I used to brag that I can hold up any eviction - even if the landlord had legal rights, I could hold it up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/i-used-to-brag-that-i-can-hold-up-any-eviction-even-if-the-landlord/) [Ed Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lee/) > [Tony Bennett, you've helped us share the magic of San Francisco around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/tony-bennett-you-ve-helped-us-share-the-magic-of-san-francisco-around/) [Ed Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lee/) > [I have made 'start, grow and stay' a big part of my administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/i-have-made-start-grow-and-stay-a-big-part-of-my-administration/) [Ed Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lee/) > [At the end of the day, tech workers are not robots: they feel, they think, they have values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/at-the-end-of-the-day-tech-workers-are-not-robots-they-feel-they/) [Ed Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lee/) [Explore all 5 Ed Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lee/) ## More Also quotes > [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/) [Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/) > [I've also directed, shot, and edited several music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-ve-also-directed-shot-and-edited-several-music-videos/) [Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/) [Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/) > [I like 'The Usual Suspects'. Great film. I also like 'Scarface', films like that. Lots of gangster films. I really like watching all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-like-the-usual-suspects-great-film-i-also-like-scarface-films-like/) [Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/) > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) Browse all 3,822 Also quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I learned with tech companies is I gotta give people room to experiment, and also to make what might later on be a mistake. This is the attitude I want to build within San Francisco - give some time to the tech community.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ed Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i-gotta-give-people-room-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Also" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i-gotta-give-people-room-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/ed-lee-58719_also_what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i_1003982.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/ed-lee-58719_also_what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i_1003982.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/ed-lee-58719_also_what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i_1003982.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What I learned with tech companies is I gotta give people room to experiment, and also to make what might…” — Ed Lee", "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": "Ed Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What I learned with tech companies...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i-gotta-give-people-room-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i-gotta-give-people-room-to/#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 } } ] } ```