--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there are too many smart people…" description: "\"I think there are too many smart people pursuing internet stuff, finance, and law. That is part of the reason why we haven't seen as much innovation.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/elon-musk-1138_finance_i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people_621621.jpg" --- # I think there are too many smart people pursuing internet… ![“I think there are too many smart people pursuing internet stuff, finance, and law. That is part of the reason why we haven't seen as much innovation.” quote by Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/elon-musk-1138_finance_i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people_621621.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/elon-musk-1138_finance_i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people_621621.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/elon-musk-1138_finance_i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people_621621.jpg) > “I think there are too many smart people pursuing internet stuff, finance, and law. That is part of the reason why we haven't seen as much innovation.” [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He believes an over‑concentration of talent in finance, law, and internet sectors stifles broader innovation. **In simple terms:** Too many smart people in narrow fields limit new ideas. Key Takeaway Encourage talent to explore diverse fields. Themes innovation talent distribution economy Mood concerned reflective Type analytical critical When to use this quote - startup ecosystems - educational curricula - policy incentives - career counseling Key Concepts human capital sectoral focus Questions to Reflect On - How can we motivate bright minds to pursue under‑explored domains? - What policies could diversify talent across sectors? A Different Perspective Innovation also needs interdisciplinary collaboration, not just talent redistribution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Finance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finance/) [Havens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/havens/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pursuing Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuing-internet-5028839/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reason why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-why/) [Seen Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seen-innovation-1218725/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-people/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Think Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-smart-304022/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [When you think about being contrarian, you have to think about - how is it that smart people will disagree with me, disagree with me ...from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/when-you-think-about-being-contrarian-you-have-to-think-about-how-is/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [“One of the biggest problems with people who think that they are smart is that they believe that the number of times they admit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/one-of-the-biggest-problems-with-people-who-think-that-they-are-smart/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [Have you ever seen innovation where someone didn’t take a risk?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-case/have-you-ever-seen-innovation-where-someone-didn-t-take-a-risk/) [Jean Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-case/) > [The online shopping paradigm is finally changing. Indeed, I think we’ve seen more innovation in the last 10 months than in the last 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kopelman/the-online-shopping-paradigm-is-finally-changing-indeed-i-think-we-ve/) [Josh Kopelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-kopelman/) > [I've seen innovation come from something as simple as a resourceful multibillionaire who wanted to make even more money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/i-ve-seen-innovation-come-from-something-as-simple-as-a-resourceful/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [I read books and talked to people. I mean that's kind of how one learns anything. There's lots of great books out there &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-read-books-and-talked-to-people-i-mean-that-s-kind-of-how-one/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [It's hard work that makes the difference. I don't care how smart you are or how smart you think you are. Smart simply means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/it-s-hard-work-that-makes-the-difference-i-don-t-care-how-smart-you/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [I think a smart woman can sell the average man anything,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-think-a-smart-woman-can-sell-the-average-man-anything/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [I wasn't a smart kid and I still don't think I'm too smart when it comes to book smart, but I was very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-angel/i-wasn-t-a-smart-kid-and-i-still-don-t-think-i-m-too-smart-when-it/) [Criss Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-angel/) > [I still think we are smart enough to not destroy planet Earth, our only home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-still-think-we-are-smart-enough-to-not-destroy-planet-earth-our/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Why do girls think,they are smart.. But in real they just desserve a dart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashish/why-do-girls-think-they-are-smart-but-in-real-they-just-desserve-a/) [Ashish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashish/) > [Any time I think I'm smart, I'm not. There's a great movie, Out of the Past, where Robert Mitchum says, 'I never found out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/any-time-i-think-i-m-smart-i-m-not-there-s-a-great-movie-out-of-the/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [“If you think that you're so smart and holy, that means you haven't yet realized that a part of what we experience today...is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/if-you-think-that-you-re-so-smart-and-holy-that-means-you-haven-t-yet/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“They think that they’re smart and that the rest of us are dumb.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/they-think-that-they-re-smart-and-that-the-rest-of-us-are-dumb/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Sometimes people think you’re smart if you question the status quo, if nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/sometimes-people-think-you-re-smart-if-you-question-the-status-quo-if/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) ## More by Elon Musk > [Nobody wants to buy a $60,000 electric Civic. But people will pay $90,000 for an electric sports car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/nobody-wants-to-buy-a-60-000-electric-civic-but-people-will-pay-90/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-we-should-be-very-careful-about-artificial-intelligence-if-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Most people can learn a lot more than they think they can. They sell themselves short without trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/most-people-can-learn-a-lot-more-than-they-think-they-can-they-sell/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [A company is a group organized to create a product or service, and it is only as good as its people and how excited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/a-company-is-a-group-organized-to-create-a-product-or-service-and-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm glad to see that BMW is bringing an electric car to market. That's cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-glad-to-see-that-bmw-is-bringing-an-electric-car-to-market-that-s/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [When we got Tesla going at the very beginning, if you asked me what I thought the odds of success were, I would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/when-we-got-tesla-going-at-the-very-beginning-if-you-asked-me-what-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If we drive down the cost of transportation in space, we can do great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-we-drive-down-the-cost-of-transportation-in-space-we-can-do-great/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [In order for us to have a future that's exciting and inspiring, it has to be one where we're a space-bearing civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/in-order-for-us-to-have-a-future-that-s-exciting-and-inspiring-it-has/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The lessons of history would suggest that civilisations move in cycles. You can track that back quite far - the Babylonians, the Sumerians, followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-lessons-of-history-would-suggest-that-civilisations-move-in/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The value of beauty and inspiration is very much underrated, no question. But I want to be clear: I'm not trying to be anyone's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-value-of-beauty-and-inspiration-is-very-much-underrated-no/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If something's important enough, you should try. Even if - the probable outcome is failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-something-s-important-enough-you-should-try-even-if-the-probable/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [You should be innovating so fast that you're invalidating your prior patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/you-should-be-innovating-so-fast-that-you-re-invalidating-your-prior/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm anti-tax, but I'm pro-carbon tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-anti-tax-but-i-m-pro-carbon-tax/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) [Explore all 284 Elon Musk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## More Finance quotes > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [I believe that simple, consistent shifts in our thinking and actions can lead to the miraculous in all aspects of our daily lives, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-believe-that-simple-consistent-shifts-in-our-thinking-and-actions/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [“Time wasted can never be compensated”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-wasted-can-never-be-compensated/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [One of the things that's great about New York is that it is not a one-industry town. It has education, academia, the service industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/one-of-the-things-that-s-great-about-new-york-is-that-it-is-not-a-one/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [If you consider yourself a part of the culture, then finances can't allow you to be bigger than the actual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/if-you-consider-yourself-a-part-of-the-culture-then-finances-can-t/) [Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/) > [“Your calling multiplies you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/your-calling-multiplies-you/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The reason that minorities and women don't have a better shot at getting elected to the Senate or to statewide office is because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/the-reason-that-minorities-and-women-don-t-have-a-better-shot-at/) [Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/) > [a TEN-YEAR-OLD lad in Indianapolis who was arrested for picking up coal along the side of railroad tracks is now in jail. If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-jones/a-ten-year-old-lad-in-indianapolis-who-was-arrested-for-picking-up/) [Mother Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-jones/) > [Ever since I stopped worrying about finances, I've made more money than I ever thought I'd make in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/ever-since-i-stopped-worrying-about-finances-i-ve-made-more-money/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [My background is around economics and finance; yet, of course, in professional services, talent is key. And for many of our clients, whatever the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-nanterme/my-background-is-around-economics-and-finance-yet-of-course-in/) [Pierre Nanterme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-nanterme/) > [I don't really have any faith in anybody enjoying photographs in a large enough sense to matter. I think it's all about finances, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-really-have-any-faith-in-anybody-enjoying-photographs-in-a/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [“Time is the source of all things”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-is-the-source-of-all-things/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Time is a running factor; once it goes, it cannot be reclaimed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-is-a-running-factor-once-it-goes-it-cannot-be-reclaimed/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Money is created from time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/money-is-created-from-time/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) [Browse all 1,842 Finance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think there are too many smart people pursuing internet stuff, finance, and law. That is part of the reason why we haven't seen as much innovation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elon Musk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people-pursuing-internet-stuff/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Finance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people-pursuing-internet-stuff/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/elon-musk-1138_finance_i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people_621621.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/elon-musk-1138_finance_i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people_621621.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2c/elon-musk-1138_finance_i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people_621621.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think there are too many smart people pursuing internet stuff, finance, and law. That is part of the…” — Elon Musk", "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": "Elon Musk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think there are too many...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people-pursuing-internet-stuff/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-there-are-too-many-smart-people-pursuing-internet-stuff/#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 } } ] } ```