--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I studied to be an architect. And I find…" description: "\"I studied to be an architect. And I find tremendous similarities between building a company and the design process. Businesses have to do their plannin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-katzman-24395_architect_i-studied-to-be-an-architect-and-i-find_1177149.jpg" --- # I studied to be an architect. And I find tremendous… ![“I studied to be an architect. And I find tremendous similarities between building a company and the design process. Businesses have to do their planning on the fly in a fashion similar to an architect sketching.” quote by John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-katzman-24395_architect_i-studied-to-be-an-architect-and-i-find_1177149.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-katzman-24395_architect_i-studied-to-be-an-architect-and-i-find_1177149.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-katzman-24395_architect_i-studied-to-be-an-architect-and-i-find_1177149.jpg) > “I studied to be an architect. And I find tremendous similarities between building a company and the design process. Businesses have to do their planning on the fly in a fashion similar to an architect sketching.” [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Designing a business mirrors architectural planning: both require adaptable, on‑the‑fly sketches and strategic foresight. **In simple terms:** Building a company is like an architect’s evolving design. Key Takeaway Apply flexible planning in entrepreneurship. Themes entrepreneurship design adaptability Mood pragmatic optimistic Type business creative When to use this quote - startup pivots - product development - urban planning Key Concepts systems thinking creative process strategic flexibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay adaptable without losing vision? - What design principles help business growth? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex business challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-process/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Sketching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sketching/) ## Related quotes > [ \[While designing\] I'm mixing two lines of thought really: me as a designer for women and then me as a man. At the start… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/while-designing-i-m-mixing-two-lines-of-thought-really-me-as-a/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [Design can be both a manifestation of a company's design ethic and an outward communication of a company's design ethic and drive for excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-lutz/design-can-be-both-a-manifestation-of-a-company-s-design-ethic-and-an/) [Bob Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-lutz/) > [We want employees teaching each other what they know. We're tying to build a company so each person can achieve at a very high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-sharp/we-want-employees-teaching-each-other-what-they-know-we-re-tying-to/) [Evan Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-sharp/) > [Burberry is now as much a media-content company as we are a design company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bailey/burberry-is-now-as-much-a-media-content-company-as-we-are-a-design/) [Christopher Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bailey/) > [What I learned from my years in Silicon Valley is that design can have a primary role in how a business is shaped, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/what-i-learned-from-my-years-in-silicon-valley-is-that-design-can/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [And just when we were at the end of our design process there was the news that the Italian government and the U.S. government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-guidoni/and-just-when-we-were-at-the-end-of-our-design-process-there-was-the/) [Umberto Guidoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-guidoni/) > [By far the most difficult skill I learned as a C.E.O. was the ability to manage my own psychology. Organizational design, process design, metrics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/by-far-the-most-difficult-skill-i-learned-as-a-c-e-o-was-the-ability/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Design means being good, not just looking good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-mok/design-means-being-good-not-just-looking-good/) [Clement Mok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-mok/) > [A small change at the beginning of the design process defines an entirely different product at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/a-small-change-at-the-beginning-of-the-design-process-defines-an/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [“C.P. Office sees its particular product (buildings) as the readily recognisable parts of its continuous design process.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-price/c-p-office-sees-its-particular-product-buildings-as-the-readily/) [Cedric Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-price/) > [All design is the process of making experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-shedroff/all-design-is-the-process-of-making-experiences/) [Nathan Shedroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-shedroff/) > [“Our school design process attempts to harness strategic thinking around gaming and game design as an innovative curricular and learning”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-salen/our-school-design-process-attempts-to-harness-strategic-thinking/) [Katie Salen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-salen/) > [The design process, at its best, integrates the aspirations of art, science, and culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-smith/the-design-process-at-its-best-integrates-the-aspirations-of-art/) [Jeff Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-smith/) > [I cannot force a design; I do not see this process as being under my conscious control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/i-cannot-force-a-design-i-do-not-see-this-process-as-being-under-my/) [Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/) > [“Those involved in the redesign process must know what they would do if they could do whatever they wanted. Such knowledge is essential if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-l-ackoff/those-involved-in-the-redesign-process-must-know-what-they-would-do/) [Russell L. Ackoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-l-ackoff/) ## More by John Katzman > [Americans have learned to trust free markets. Republican or Democrat, we believe the unimpeded exchange of goods and services will yield better solutions than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/americans-have-learned-to-trust-free-markets-republican-or-democrat/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [The SAT is a scam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/the-sat-is-a-scam/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [Exciting discoveries in neuroscience are allowing us to fit educational methods to new understandings of how the brain develops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/exciting-discoveries-in-neuroscience-are-allowing-us-to-fit/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [After graduation, I took a job with Manufacturers Hanover Trust in software development. I don't think I was there more than a month.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/after-graduation-i-took-a-job-with-manufacturers-hanover-trust-in/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [No two children learn in the same way. While we might agree that every American eight-year-old should be able to read and multiply, beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/no-two-children-learn-in-the-same-way-while-we-might-agree-that-every/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [You still remember your SAT scores. And everybody else does too. Everybody's forgotten everything about themselves, everything else about high school. They remember their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/you-still-remember-your-sat-scores-and-everybody-else-does-too/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [Why do men outperform women on the SAT? The SAT's supposed to predict college grades. Women do better in high school and they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/why-do-men-outperform-women-on-the-sat-the-sat-s-supposed-to-predict/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [Traditionally, universities have seen size as potentially dilutive to quality. If you doubled the size of campus and faculty, most would argue that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/traditionally-universities-have-seen-size-as-potentially-dilutive-to/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [The question was, in a sense, at Princeton Review, how much value was I adding as a public company CEO. I was adding less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/the-question-was-in-a-sense-at-princeton-review-how-much-value-was-i/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [The Internet is the first technology since the printing press which could lower the cost of a great education and, in doing so, make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/the-internet-is-the-first-technology-since-the-printing-press-which/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [I'd never taken an SAT prep course. They were for weaker students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/i-d-never-taken-an-sat-prep-course-they-were-for-weaker-students/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [We should get rid of the SAT as fast as we can. Look, there are bigger problems in society. This is not the biggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/we-should-get-rid-of-the-sat-as-fast-as-we-can-look-there-are-bigger/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [I am always making sketches of how information should look or mapping out a marketing campaign. When I present my notes, people start responding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/i-am-always-making-sketches-of-how-information-should-look-or-mapping/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [I hated being a public company CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/i-hated-being-a-public-company-ceo/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [There shouldn't be one Sal Khan - there should be 100,000 of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/there-shouldn-t-be-one-sal-khan-there-should-be-100-000-of-them/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) [Explore all 24 John Katzman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) ## More Architect quotes > [When I am asked what I believe in, I say that I believe in architecture. Architecture is the mother of the arts. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meier/when-i-am-asked-what-i-believe-in-i-say-that-i-believe-in/) [Richard Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meier/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-comes-to-getting-things-done-we-need-fewer-architects-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [Yes, Garnett Grey was an Architect. Were a psychoanalyst to approach him from behind, tap his shoulder, and say 'Humanity,' Garrett'd spin and respond,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-kidd/yes-garnett-grey-was-an-architect-were-a-psychoanalyst-to-approach/) [Chip Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-kidd/) > [The challenge of today's generation of architects is the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ross-barney/the-challenge-of-today-s-generation-of-architects-is-the-environment/) [Carol Ross Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ross-barney/) > [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Architects in the past have tended to concentrate their attention on the building as a static object. I believe dynamics are more important: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/architects-in-the-past-have-tended-to-concentrate-their-attention-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-house-budget-committee-and-one-of-the-chief/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [No matter what an architect may be at home, he becomes a monumentalist when he comes to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-louise-huxtable/no-matter-what-an-architect-may-be-at-home-he-becomes-a-monumentalist/) [Ada Louise Huxtable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-louise-huxtable/) > [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/) [Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/) [Browse all 836 Architect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I studied to be an architect. 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