--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To succeed in the tech industry, you…" description: "\"To succeed in the tech industry, you start businesses, make money, and make smart investments. But to succeed in the tech community, you do and build a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/jon-evans-27097_business_to-succeed-in-the-tech-industry-you-star_1219841.png" --- # To succeed in the tech industry, you start businesses… ![“To succeed in the tech industry, you start businesses, make money, and make smart investments. But to succeed in the tech community, you do and build awesome things, are generous with your time and efforts, and make a point of making space for strangers - without any expectation of payback.” quote by Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/jon-evans-27097_business_to-succeed-in-the-tech-industry-you-star_1219841.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/jon-evans-27097_business_to-succeed-in-the-tech-industry-you-star_1219841.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/jon-evans-27097_business_to-succeed-in-the-tech-industry-you-star_1219841.png) > “To succeed in the tech industry, you start businesses, make money, and make smart investments. But to succeed in the tech community, you do and build awesome things, are generous with your time and efforts, and make a point of making space for strangers - without any expectation of payback.” [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success in tech requires both profit‑driven ventures and community‑focused generosity, balancing personal gain with altruistic collaboration. **In simple terms:** Tech success blends business and community generosity. Key Takeaway Give time freely, not just money. Themes business community generosity collaboration tech industry Mood inspired reflective optimistic Type advice philosophical motivational When to use this quote - startup mentorship - open source contributions - team building - industry events - volunteer coding workshops Key Concepts social capital network effects altruism sustainable growth Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure impact beyond revenue? - What habits foster genuine generosity? A Different Perspective Pure profit focus can neglect long‑term trust and reputation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Your ultimate success or failure will depend on your ability to ignore the worries of the world long enough to allow your investments to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lynch/your-ultimate-success-or-failure-will-depend-on-your-ability-to/) [Peter Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lynch/) > [The tech industry used to be home to a disproportionate number of misfits and weirdos. Geeks. Nerds. People who needed to know how machines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/the-tech-industry-used-to-be-home-to-a-disproportionate-number-of/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [Haredi youth are smart, and they are going to bring a big benefit to the high-tech industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naftali-bennett/haredi-youth-are-smart-and-they-are-going-to-bring-a-big-benefit-to/) [Naftali Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naftali-bennett/) > [The future of the world is in the palm of the tech community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamillionaire/the-future-of-the-world-is-in-the-palm-of-the-tech-community/) [Chamillionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamillionaire/) > [The tech community is a closely knit group, which is why it's so powerful. 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Many of these folks are my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/my-relationship-with-silicon-valley-and-the-tech-community/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [From my point of view, we have the two communities: the tech community on one side and the rather social-scientific, philosophical community on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-walter-steinmeier/from-my-point-of-view-we-have-the-two-communities-the-tech-community/) [Frank-Walter Steinmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-walter-steinmeier/) > [Obama will win the 2012 election, thanks in part to the tech community rallying behind him due to issues like SOPA, visas, and free speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/obama-will-win-the-2012-election-thanks-in-part-to-the-tech-community/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [What I learned with tech companies is I gotta give people room to experiment, and also to make what might later on be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lee/what-i-learned-with-tech-companies-is-i-gotta-give-people-room-to/) [Ed Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lee/) > [Tech people like to stick to their knitting, and they measure their accomplishments by the growth of their company. Now the tech community is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-conway/tech-people-like-to-stick-to-their-knitting-and-they-measure-their/) [Ron Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-conway/) > [There's always been a lot of interest in the tech community about how to foster innovation and creativity - both within a company but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taavet-hinrikus/there-s-always-been-a-lot-of-interest-in-the-tech-community-about-how/) [Taavet Hinrikus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taavet-hinrikus/) > [You can't be in the tech community... without realizing there's a big shortage of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/you-can-t-be-in-the-tech-community-without-realizing-there-s-a-big/) [Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/) > [People in the tech community may not like politics because it seems less interesting or less pure than what they're doing. But you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/people-in-the-tech-community-may-not-like-politics-because-it-seems/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [The tech community has taken the first step by recognizing that diversity is a strength and realizing that many of them have to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/the-tech-community-has-taken-the-first-step-by-recognizing-that/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [Now the tech community is popping up and saying, 'We do need to be involved in our surroundings.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-conway/now-the-tech-community-is-popping-up-and-saying-we-do-need-to-be/) [Ron Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-conway/) ## More by Jon Evans > [Governments are scared of software.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/governments-are-scared-of-software/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [The tech industry used to be home to a disproportionate number of misfits and weirdos. Geeks. Nerds. People who needed to know how machines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/the-tech-industry-used-to-be-home-to-a-disproportionate-number-of/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [I've been a software engineer, a novelist, a journalist, and a manager - and managing developers is easily the trickiest thing I've ever done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/i-ve-been-a-software-engineer-a-novelist-a-journalist-and-a-manager/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [“Humans serve cats as dogs serve humans. And sometimes, I fear, as ineptly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/humans-serve-cats-as-dogs-serve-humans-and-sometimes-i-fear-as-ineptly/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [Every time you log in to Facebook, every time you click on your News Feed, every time you Like a photo, every time you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/every-time-you-log-in-to-facebook-every-time-you-click-on-your-news/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [In theory, the Internet should bring us all closer together and slowly eliminate our differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/in-theory-the-internet-should-bring-us-all-closer-together-and-slowly/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [I don't mind that Bill Gates is a mega zillionaire; he's done a lot of really interesting and innovative stuff. I do mind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/i-don-t-mind-that-bill-gates-is-a-mega-zillionaire-he-s-done-a-lot-of/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [To inflict cruelties on defenceless creatures, or condone such acts, is to abuse one of the cardinal tenets of a civilized society - reverence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/to-inflict-cruelties-on-defenceless-creatures-or-condone-such-acts-is/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [It is probable that Facebook boasts the broadest, deepest, and most comprehensive dataset of human information, interests, and activity ever collected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/it-is-probable-that-facebook-boasts-the-broadest-deepest-and-most/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [“The Labyrinth, a walled garden where humans tortured plants and flowers into growing in straight lines and sharp corners so unnatural that it hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/the-labyrinth-a-walled-garden-where-humans-tortured-plants-and/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [Traditional technical interviews are terrible for everyone. They're a bad way for companies to evaluate candidates. They're a bad way for candidates to evaluate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/traditional-technical-interviews-are-terrible-for-everyone-they-re-a/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [Basically, a manager's job is to make other people more productive. What's one really good way to do that? Do the work that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/basically-a-manager-s-job-is-to-make-other-people-more-productive/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [It is a truth universally acknowledged, in the enlightened liberal semi-socialist California circles in which I often move, that Uber is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/it-is-a-truth-universally-acknowledged-in-the-enlightened-liberal/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [The great irony of management is that the higher up you go, the less actual control you have. 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