--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people who end up being successful…" description: "\"Most people who end up being successful have good grades, but it's orthogonal - there's no extra information than if they put together a website and ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/gabe-newell-11590_being-successful_most-people-who-end-up-being-successful_2653330.jpg" --- # Most people who end up being successful have good grades… ![“Most people who end up being successful have good grades, but it's orthogonal - there's no extra information than if they put together a website and have bunch of fans who love coming and seeing what they're doing.” quote by Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/gabe-newell-11590_being-successful_most-people-who-end-up-being-successful_2653330.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/gabe-newell-11590_being-successful_most-people-who-end-up-being-successful_2653330.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/gabe-newell-11590_being-successful_most-people-who-end-up-being-successful_2653330.jpg) > “Most people who end up being successful have good grades, but it's orthogonal - there's no extra information than if they put together a website and have bunch of fans who love coming and seeing what they're doing.” [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success is not determined by grades alone; building a community and showcasing work matters more. **In simple terms:** Grades matter less than audience engagement. Key Takeaway Focus on creating and sharing value. Themes success community visibility skill perseverance Mood motivational pragmatic Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - startup launch - content creation - freelance work - online portfolio - fanbase building Key Concepts social proof network effects personal branding Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn your work into a community magnet? - What steps will you take to showcase your projects? A Different Perspective Grades alone don't guarantee success without practical application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Good grades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-grades/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) ## Related quotes > [The ability to be successful should be a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-grimm/the-ability-to-be-successful-should-be-a-good-thing/) [Michael Grimm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-grimm/) > [A bunch of my fans have come up to me and said, 'Because of you, and because you came out, I have finally begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-jauregui/a-bunch-of-my-fans-have-come-up-to-me-and-said-because-of-you-and/) [Lauren Jauregui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-jauregui/) > [... I just want to remind the owners and the players: you guys make money because you have a whole bunch of fans out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-just-want-to-remind-the-owners-and-the-players-you-guys-make-money/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [A bunch of fans have come up to me and they say, 'Why did we trade you? The Lakers front office did the biggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivica-zubac/a-bunch-of-fans-have-come-up-to-me-and-they-say-why-did-we-trade-you/) [Ivica Zubac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivica-zubac/) > [It's a weird thing because I've been single at the time when I've been successful. That's good and bad. Good, because you meet lots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walliams/it-s-a-weird-thing-because-i-ve-been-single-at-the-time-when-i-ve/) [David Walliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walliams/) > [I like the idea that people hear my stuff, and if it's commercially successful, that's a good sign that it's being heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/i-like-the-idea-that-people-hear-my-stuff-and-if-it-s-commercially/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I always saw myself wanting to do something deemed successful and good at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/i-always-saw-myself-wanting-to-do-something-deemed-successful-and/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Organizations are successful because of good implementation,not good business plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/organizations-are-successful-because-of-good-implementation-not-good/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [I've never been driven to just be a celebrity or just get me on TV. Never ever. What's always driven me is being successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-velazquez/i-ve-never-been-driven-to-just-be-a-celebrity-or-just-get-me-on-tv/) [Nadine Velazquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-velazquez/) > [In the United States there's a Puritan ethic and a mythology of success. He who is successful is good. In Latin countries, in Catholic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/in-the-united-states-there-s-a-puritan-ethic-and-a-mythology-of/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [To be successful you have to find a good balance between offence and defence, to work without the ball, but our main tactic is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/to-be-successful-you-have-to-find-a-good-balance-between-offence-and/) [Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/) > [What's successful is when you are good at what you aim to do. And I don't think that Nas has aimed to do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stoute/what-s-successful-is-when-you-are-good-at-what-you-aim-to-do-and-i/) [Steve Stoute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stoute/) > [“On the road to success, don't mistreat and leave people behind out of selfishness. Always remember that in order to be successful in anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-guishard/on-the-road-to-success-don-t-mistreat-and-leave-people-behind-out-of/) Bria Guishard > [My kind of success has come a little bit later in life. I'm not 20 any more and these people I've been working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dean-morgan/my-kind-of-success-has-come-a-little-bit-later-in-life-i-m-not-20-any/) [Jeffrey Dean Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dean-morgan/) > [The best revenge is living a successful, good life, and just being happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/the-best-revenge-is-living-a-successful-good-life-and-just-being-happy/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) ## More by Gabe Newell > [One thing that we have learned is that piracy is not a pricing issue. It’s a service issue,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/one-thing-that-we-have-learned-is-that-piracy-is-not-a-pricing-issue/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [I have no direct knowledge of this, but I suspect that Apple will launch a living room product that redefines people's expectations really strongly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/i-have-no-direct-knowledge-of-this-but-i-suspect-that-apple-will/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [Traditional credentialing really doesn't have a lot of predictive value to if people will be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/traditional-credentialing-really-doesn-t-have-a-lot-of-predictive/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [We started off with a set of objectives for what we needed to communicate with the company's identity, created several proposals intended to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/we-started-off-with-a-set-of-objectives-for-what-we-needed-to/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [In order for innovation to happen, a bunch of things that aren't happening on closed platforms need to occur. Valve wouldn't exist today without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/in-order-for-innovation-to-happen-a-bunch-of-things-that-aren-t/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [I consider Apple to be very closed. Let's say you have a book business, and you are charging 5 to 7 percent gross margins;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/i-consider-apple-to-be-very-closed-let-s-say-you-have-a-book-business/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [I think it's really clear that Sony lost track of what customers and what developers wanted. I'd say, even at this late date, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/i-think-it-s-really-clear-that-sony-lost-track-of-what-customers-and/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [Greenlight is a bad example of an election process. We came to the conclusion pretty quickly that we could just do away with Greenlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/greenlight-is-a-bad-example-of-an-election-process-we-came-to-the/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [One of the things that's important about family is the narrative history they create for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/one-of-the-things-that-s-important-about-family-is-the-narrative/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space. I think we'll lose some of the top-tier PC/OEMs, who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/i-think-windows-8-is-a-catastrophe-for-everyone-in-the-pc-space-i/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [The programmers of tomorrow are the wizards of the future,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/the-programmers-of-tomorrow-are-the-wizards-of-the-future/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [In order for innovation to happen, a bunch of things that aren't happening on closed platforms need to occur. Valve wouldn't exist today without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/in-order-for-innovation-to-happen-a-bunch-of-things-that-aren-t-2/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [I'd like to thank Sony for their gracious hospitality, and for not repeatedly punching me in the face. If I seem a little nervous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/i-d-like-to-thank-sony-for-their-gracious-hospitality-and-for-not/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [About half the people at Valve have run their own companies, so they always have the option not just to take a job at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/about-half-the-people-at-valve-have-run-their-own-companies-so-they/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) > [It used to be that you needed a $500-million-a-year company in order to reach a worldwide audience of consumers. Now, all you need is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/it-used-to-be-that-you-needed-a-500-million-a-year-company-in-order/) [Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) [Explore all 59 Gabe Newell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/) ## More Being successful quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [You cannot be successful without passion. If you don't love what you're doing, if you don't have passion for it - forget it. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-cannot-be-successful-without-passion-if-you-don-t-love-what-you/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You can't not be a little different from others and be successful for three decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/you-can-t-not-be-a-little-different-from-others-and-be-successful-for/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Everyone has a breaking point, turning point, stress point, the game is permeated with it. The fans don't see it because we make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everyone-has-a-breaking-point-turning-point-stress-point-the-game-is/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [If you increase the number of rockets you build and you buy, then it's the scale of the economy, the price is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/if-you-increase-the-number-of-rockets-you-build-and-you-buy-then-it-s/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/hockey-is-a-unique-sport-in-the-sense-that-you-need-each-and-every/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [There has always been a display of wealth and always will be, until the depression comes, which it always does. And let me tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-has-always-been-a-display-of-wealth-and-always-will-be-until/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [There's nobody that wants the president to be successful more than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/there-s-nobody-that-wants-the-president-to-be-successful-more-than-i/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [Don't worry about your individual numbers. Worry about the team. If the team is successful, each of you will be successful, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/don-t-worry-about-your-individual-numbers-worry-about-the-team-if-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [We have to be successful at the cutting-edge industries of the future like Twitter. But we also have always been a country that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-to-be-successful-at-the-cutting-edge-industries-of-the-future/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Also, it's not the mathematical skill that's critical to winning, it's the discipline of being able to stick to the system. There are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-hull/also-it-s-not-the-mathematical-skill-that-s-critical-to-winning-it-s/) Blair Hull [Browse all 1,002 Being successful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most people who end up being successful have good grades, but it's orthogonal - there's no extra information than if they put together a website and have bunch of fans who love coming and seeing what they're doing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gabe Newell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/most-people-who-end-up-being-successful-have-good-grades-but-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being successful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/most-people-who-end-up-being-successful-have-good-grades-but-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/gabe-newell-11590_being-successful_most-people-who-end-up-being-successful_2653330.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/gabe-newell-11590_being-successful_most-people-who-end-up-being-successful_2653330.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/gabe-newell-11590_being-successful_most-people-who-end-up-being-successful_2653330.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most people who end up being successful have good grades, but it's orthogonal - there's no extra information…” — Gabe Newell", "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": "Gabe Newell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Most people who end up being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/most-people-who-end-up-being-successful-have-good-grades-but-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/most-people-who-end-up-being-successful-have-good-grades-but-it-s/#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 } } ] } ```