Business Quote by Eric Ries
“Most start-up companies fail and it is smart public policy to help entrepreneurs increase their odds of succeeding. But, the biggest loss to our economy is not all the start-ups that didn't make it: It's the ones that might have been created but weren't.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Lean Startup, Eric Ries, 2011
Entrepreneurship thrives when policy supports risk‑taking; missed opportunities cost more than failures.
In simple terms: Help entrepreneurs, reduce loss of potential startups.
Key Takeaway
Support risk‑taking policies.
Themes
economy
policy
entrepreneurship
innovation
Mood
optimistic
pragmatic
Type
analytical
prescriptive
When to use this quote
- government grants
- incubator programs
- tax incentives
- venture capital
- regulatory reform
Key Concepts
risk
public policy
economic growth
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance support with accountability?
- What incentives best encourage viable startups?
A Different Perspective
Policy may create moral hazard if not carefully targeted.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“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)