--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A startup for entrepreneurs is like a…" description: "\"A startup for entrepreneurs is like a baby, and I have five babies so far - experienced father.\" — Jack Ma" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/jack-ma-2112_babies_a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-ba_1684241.jpg" --- # A startup for entrepreneurs is like a baby, and I have… ![“A startup for entrepreneurs is like a baby, and I have five babies so far - experienced father.” quote by Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/jack-ma-2112_babies_a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-ba_1684241.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/jack-ma-2112_babies_a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-ba_1684241.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/jack-ma-2112_babies_a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-ba_1684241.jpg) > “A startup for entrepreneurs is like a baby, and I have five babies so far - experienced father.” [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Entrepreneurship is likened to caring for multiple newborns, emphasizing experience and responsibility. **In simple terms:** Running startups is like raising babies. Key Takeaway Treat each venture with care. Themes entrepreneurship responsibility experience Mood practical reflective Type business advice When to use this quote - launching new ventures - scaling businesses - team building - investor relations Key Concepts growth risk management leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance multiple projects? - What lessons from one venture help another? A Different Perspective Managing many startups can dilute focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Babies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babies/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Entrepreneurs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurs/) [Entrepreneurs Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurs-like-989088/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Experienced Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experienced-father-989087/) [Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Startup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup/) [Startup Entrepreneurs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup-entrepreneurs-989086/) ## Related quotes > [“In the startup game, there are no real rules, only laws, and weakly enforced ones at that. In the end, success would forgive any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-garcia-martinez/in-the-startup-game-there-are-no-real-rules-only-laws-and-weakly/) [Antonio Garcia Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-garcia-martinez/) > [Entrepreneurs are like cats, because they are independent and do their own thing. Although organisations say they like cats, what they really want is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/entrepreneurs-are-like-cats-because-they-are-independent-and-do-their/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [I always read about these stories of entrepreneurs - it's like they're in the desert with no water, and they're the ones that survive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/i-always-read-about-these-stories-of-entrepreneurs-it-s-like-they-re/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [“Right now there is a prime opportunity for all of us to change the rules of the game through e-commerce and shift the balance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/right-now-there-is-a-prime-opportunity-for-all-of-us-to-change-the/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [That's the most fulfilling thing I've experienced ever, being a father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-isner/that-s-the-most-fulfilling-thing-i-ve-experienced-ever-being-a-father/) [John Isner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-isner/) > [We want people who work for us to be entrepreneurs. We like them to look at ideas. We like them to chase ideas. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-glasenberg/we-want-people-who-work-for-us-to-be-entrepreneurs-we-like-them-to/) [Ivan Glasenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-glasenberg/) > [Entrepreneurs are like visionaries. One of the ways they run forward is by viewing the thing they're doing as something that's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/entrepreneurs-are-like-visionaries-one-of-the-ways-they-run-forward/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Every weekend I would take a train to Delhi and sneak into startup events. I really enjoyed meeting entrepreneurs who were solving big problems.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritesh-agarwal/every-weekend-i-would-take-a-train-to-delhi-and-sneak-into-startup/) [Ritesh Agarwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritesh-agarwal/) > [“Entrepreneurs don’t ask for permission. They act per a mission.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lilly/entrepreneurs-don-t-ask-for-permission-they-act-per-a-mission/) [Ryan Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lilly/) > [“Do you know great minds enjoy excellence, average minds love mediocrity and small minds adore comfort zones?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/onyi-anyado/do-you-know-great-minds-enjoy-excellence-average-minds-love/) [Onyi Anyado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/onyi-anyado/) > [Aspiring entrepreneurs are often advised to work at a startup for a couple of years first, to understand what's involved. But often, each company's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/aspiring-entrepreneurs-are-often-advised-to-work-at-a-startup-for-a/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [“Once true passion hits you, you can recognize all the times in your life you were chasing the wrong dream. And after you've experienced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/once-true-passion-hits-you-you-can-recognize-all-the-times-in-your/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [So many entrepreneurs view their companies as their babies. They micromanage, and they stall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-green/so-many-entrepreneurs-view-their-companies-as-their-babies-they/) [Kirsten Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-green/) > [“So Mack got kind of a late start in the startup world—he founded TakeOff at the ripe old age of twenty-five”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doree-shafrir/so-mack-got-kind-of-a-late-start-in-the-startup-world-he-founded/) [Doree Shafrir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doree-shafrir/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jack Ma > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [The world will not remember what you say, but it will certainly not forget what you have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/the-world-will-not-remember-what-you-say-but-it-will-certainly-not/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Only fools use their mouth to speak. A smart man uses his brain, and a wise man uses his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/only-fools-use-their-mouth-to-speak-a-smart-man-uses-his-brain-and-a/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Never ever do business with the government. Be in love with them, never marry them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/never-ever-do-business-with-the-government-be-in-love-with-them-never/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [It's impossible for China to keep 10 to 15% growth annually. The economy needed to slow down, and we have to learn to slow down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/it-s-impossible-for-china-to-keep-10-to-15-growth-annually-the/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [I flunked my exam for university two times before I was accepted by what was considered my city's worst university, Hangzhou Teachers University. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/i-flunked-my-exam-for-university-two-times-before-i-was-accepted-by/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [China's government is so strong on investment, so strong on exporting, but they're too weak on domestic consumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/china-s-government-is-so-strong-on-investment-so-strong-on-exporting/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [If the 'Post' can play the role of a connector between the West and the East, I have confidence in the paper's future success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-the-post-can-play-the-role-of-a-connector-between-the-west-and-the/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [I know nothing about technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/i-know-nothing-about-technology/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueller. And the day after tomorrow is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/today-is-cruel-tomorrow-is-crueller-and-the-day-after-tomorrow-is/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [30% of all people will never believe you. Do not allow your colleagues and employees to work for you. Instead, let them work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/30-of-all-people-will-never-believe-you-do-not-allow-your-colleagues/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [If you want to invest in us, we believe customer number one, employee number two, shareholder number three. If they don't want to buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-want-to-invest-in-us-we-believe-customer-number-one-employee/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/never-give-up-today-is-hard-tomorrow-will-be-worse-but-the-day-after/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [A great opportunity is often hard to be explained clearly; things that can be explained clearly are often not the best opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/a-great-opportunity-is-often-hard-to-be-explained-clearly-things-that/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [The customer is number one, the employee is number two and the shareholder is number three. If the customer is happy, the business is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/the-customer-is-number-one-the-employee-is-number-two-and-the/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) [Explore all 185 Jack Ma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) ## More Babies quotes > [When I'm on Twitter, we just talk to people. I call all my Twitter followers my 'Twitter babies.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rozonda-thomas/when-i-m-on-twitter-we-just-talk-to-people-i-call-all-my-twitter/) [Rozonda Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rozonda-thomas/) > [If all fooles had babies, wee should want fuell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/if-all-fooles-had-babies-wee-should-want-fuell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Yes, I'm a nice man and I enjoy babies. I'm a sensitive guy. I held a baby the other day and it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-shandling/yes-i-m-a-nice-man-and-i-enjoy-babies-i-m-a-sensitive-guy-i-held-a/) [Garry Shandling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-shandling/) > [It was an odd coincidence that my career took off the same decade as having babies. I often wished it had been different, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-kaczmarek/it-was-an-odd-coincidence-that-my-career-took-off-the-same-decade-as/) [Jane Kaczmarek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-kaczmarek/) > [My videos, the ones I produced and co-directed and came up with a treatment from scratch - those are my babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/my-videos-the-ones-i-produced-and-co-directed-and-came-up-with-a/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [“you like babies, don't you? he asked... I have a marginally higher opinion of them than Herod, she said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-mcgown/you-like-babies-don-t-you-he-asked-i-have-a-marginally-higher-opinion/) [Jill McGown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-mcgown/) > [God looks out for fools and babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meshell-ndegeocello/god-looks-out-for-fools-and-babies/) [Meshell Ndegeocello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meshell-ndegeocello/) > [“Babies who do not sleep ‘through the night’ alone in a cot, as soon as possible after birth, are seen as a ‘problem’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/babies-who-do-not-sleep-through-the-night-alone-in-a-cot-as-soon-as/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [Babies don't need a vacation, but I still see them at the beach... it pisses me off! I'll go over to a little baby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/babies-don-t-need-a-vacation-but-i-still-see-them-at-the-beach-it/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“...For having a baby's sweet face so close to your own, for so long a time as it takes to nurse 'em, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-eisdorfer/for-having-a-baby-s-sweet-face-so-close-to-your-own-for-so-long-a/) [Erica Eisdorfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-eisdorfer/) > [Babies like fat. Like to bury they face up in you armpit and go to sleep. They like big fat legs too. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/babies-like-fat-like-to-bury-they-face-up-in-you-armpit-and-go-to/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [Some women just skip having babies or adopt because they don't want to get fat or they haven't put in the time to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-pressly/some-women-just-skip-having-babies-or-adopt-because-they-don-t-want/) [Jaime Pressly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-pressly/) > [“Even lizard + baby can be director.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-robert/even-lizard-baby-can-be-director/) [Robert Robert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-robert/) > [People who make babies surrender their right to behave like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/people-who-make-babies-surrender-their-right-to-behave-like-them/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [Babies are great but I am not ready to have one. Maybe ten years from now but not yet. I want to keep my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/babies-are-great-but-i-am-not-ready-to-have-one-maybe-ten-years-from/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) [Browse all 814 Babies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A startup for entrepreneurs is like a baby, and I have five babies so far - experienced father.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Ma" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-baby-and-i-have-five-babies-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Babies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-baby-and-i-have-five-babies-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/jack-ma-2112_babies_a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-ba_1684241.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/jack-ma-2112_babies_a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-ba_1684241.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/jack-ma-2112_babies_a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-ba_1684241.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A startup for entrepreneurs is like a baby, and I have five babies so far - experienced father.” — Jack Ma", "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": "Jack Ma", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A startup for entrepreneurs is like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-baby-and-i-have-five-babies-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/a-startup-for-entrepreneurs-is-like-a-baby-and-i-have-five-babies-so/#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 } } ] } ```