--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We make interesting companies and real…" description: "\"We make interesting companies and real businesses. It's not social networks for cats.\" — Harper Reed" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/harper-reed-7166_business_we-make-interesting-companies-and-real-b_1410251.jpg" --- # We make interesting companies and real businesses. It's… ![“We make interesting companies and real businesses. It's not social networks for cats.” quote by Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/harper-reed-7166_business_we-make-interesting-companies-and-real-b_1410251.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/harper-reed-7166_business_we-make-interesting-companies-and-real-b_1410251.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/harper-reed-7166_business_we-make-interesting-companies-and-real-b_1410251.jpg) > “We make interesting companies and real businesses. It's not social networks for cats.” [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement distinguishes serious business ventures from trivial social media platforms, emphasizing substance over novelty. **In simple terms:** Focus on building real, valuable companies. Key Takeaway Prioritize substance and impact in ventures. Themes business technology substance Mood analytical critical Type business strategic When to use this quote - tech incubators - venture capital pitches - product launches Key Concepts startup strategy market differentiation Questions to Reflect On - What defines a “real” business today? - How can novelty become substantive? A Different Perspective Risk of dismissing innovative platforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Businesses Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businesses-social-4587203/) [Cats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cats/) [Companies Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies-real-4968032/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Interesting Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-companies-4968031/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Networks Cats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/networks-cats-4968033/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Businesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-businesses-356208/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) ## Related quotes > [I think that the best companies are companies that have a real purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-scardino/i-think-that-the-best-companies-are-companies-that-have-a-real-purpose/) [Marjorie Scardino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-scardino/) > [Businesses who are members of Businesses for Social Responsibility or the Social Venture Network are internalizing costs on a voluntary basis and therefore raising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/businesses-who-are-members-of-businesses-for-social-responsibility-or/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [I have set up several businesses as social businesses, and I am a great believer that the power of business should be used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-cole/i-have-set-up-several-businesses-as-social-businesses-and-i-am-a/) [Lily Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-cole/) > [As an investor, what we're not looking for is 'oh this is a cool app,' it's 'is this something that can become a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklas-zennstrom/as-an-investor-what-we-re-not-looking-for-is-oh-this-is-a-cool-app-it/) [Niklas Zennstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niklas-zennstrom/) > [The mobile solutions offered by companies such as Square, and now Amazon, may seem tempting for merchants due to the low cost, but these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-isaacman/the-mobile-solutions-offered-by-companies-such-as-square-and-now/) [Jared Isaacman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-isaacman/) > [Our free POS systems provide the tools that real businesses need to operate, including advanced functionality, robust back-end capabilities and cloud-based reporting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-isaacman/our-free-pos-systems-provide-the-tools-that-real-businesses-need-to/) [Jared Isaacman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-isaacman/) > [In my opinion, right now there's way too much hype on the technologies and not enough attention to the real businesses behind them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/in-my-opinion-right-now-there-s-way-too-much-hype-on-the-technologies/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [I like tackling problems that I can see making an impact on real people and real businesses immediately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-priebatsch/i-like-tackling-problems-that-i-can-see-making-an-impact-on-real/) [Seth Priebatsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-priebatsch/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. 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I dont live in New York anymore so dont see so many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-moennig/i-liked-cats-as-a-kid-now-its-hard-to-say-i-dont-live-in-new-york/) [Katherine Moennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-moennig/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [One reason why my memory decays is that I have three cats, all so loving and insistent that they play cat's-cradle with every train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/one-reason-why-my-memory-decays-is-that-i-have-three-cats-all-so/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [“So Nikki came aboard as Jaqueline's spare cat, presumably in case our prime cat, Eliza, goes on vacation, takes industrial action, or requests a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-s-wren/so-nikki-came-aboard-as-jaqueline-s-spare-cat-presumably-in-case-our/) [Christopher S. Wren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-s-wren/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) ## More by Harper Reed > [Donald Trump won the election. I think that's true. I also think there was interference. If this was another country, I think we'd be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/donald-trump-won-the-election-i-think-that-s-true-i-also-think-there/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [I programmed computers every day. And one of my favourite apps we built was this thing called Awesome Updater, that all it did is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/i-programmed-computers-every-day-and-one-of-my-favourite-apps-we/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [Startupfest is a very positive conference. I think a lot of it has to do with how different culturally it is from other startup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/startupfest-is-a-very-positive-conference-i-think-a-lot-of-it-has-to/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [My entire career has been based around commerce. The Obama campaign was famous for raising boatloads of money online. My question is how do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/my-entire-career-has-been-based-around-commerce-the-obama-campaign/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [I would say Silicon Valley and New York have inflated salaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/i-would-say-silicon-valley-and-new-york-have-inflated-salaries/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [When I give talks, I often quote from a button I received at a Google event: Always Be Creative. I use it to illustrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/when-i-give-talks-i-often-quote-from-a-button-i-received-at-a-google/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [We were orbiting around the idea of intent and context. We would take the bus into work, and if you said, 'Here's a shirt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/we-were-orbiting-around-the-idea-of-intent-and-context-we-would-take/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [People are building apps that are doing super-crazy things, and there's a lot of talk about modeling and microtargeting. Facebook can predict when people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/people-are-building-apps-that-are-doing-super-crazy-things-and-there/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [What I do think is important is this idea of a 'privacy native' where you grow up in a world where the values of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/what-i-do-think-is-important-is-this-idea-of-a-privacy-native-where/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [I grew up in Greeley, Colorado, in a house without a television set. I was a very nerdy kid: I used to play 'astronaut'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/i-grew-up-in-greeley-colorado-in-a-house-without-a-television-set-i/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [Security is very difficult. You have to be very careful about security, and I think oftentimes people just forget; they don't invest in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/security-is-very-difficult-you-have-to-be-very-careful-about-security/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [The first thing is - and this is very important - I support the unmonitored use of the Internet for everyone. It doesn't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/the-first-thing-is-and-this-is-very-important-i-support-the/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [Advice is always awesome because it never makes any sense when you compare it all together. It always contradicts other advice. I love advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/advice-is-always-awesome-because-it-never-makes-any-sense-when-you/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [There are a lot of people who are unable to take a break to clear their minds. I imagine they are the ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-are-unable-to-take-a-break-to-clear/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [I try and wake up relatively early. I listen to some music and check Twitter. I also make sure I weigh myself and check…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/i-try-and-wake-up-relatively-early-i-listen-to-some-music-and-check/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) [Explore all 94 Harper Reed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]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. 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