--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Building a company is basically taking…" description: "\"Building a company is basically taking all the irrational people you know... Putting them in one building and then living with them 12 hrs a day at lea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/keith-rabois-11250_building_building-a-company-is-basically-taking-a_2298802.jpg" --- # Building a company is basically taking all the irrational… ![“Building a company is basically taking all the irrational people you know... Putting them in one building and then living with them 12 hrs a day at least.” quote by Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/keith-rabois-11250_building_building-a-company-is-basically-taking-a_2298802.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/keith-rabois-11250_building_building-a-company-is-basically-taking-a_2298802.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/keith-rabois-11250_building_building-a-company-is-basically-taking-a_2298802.jpg) > “Building a company is basically taking all the irrational people you know... Putting them in one building and then living with them 12 hrs a day at least.” [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Building a startup involves gathering diverse, often irrational personalities and cohabiting intensively. **In simple terms:** Startups are intense groups of quirky people. Key Takeaway Embrace diversity, manage conflict. Themes entrepreneurship team dynamics culture Mood pragmatic analytical Type business leadership When to use this quote - company formation - daily operations - team building Key Concepts human behavior organizational psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders balance individuality with cohesion? - What structures support healthy collaboration? A Different Perspective Intense proximity can breed burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Irrational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrational/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Our society is full of hypocrites and irrational people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-massey/our-society-is-full-of-hypocrites-and-irrational-people/) [Vikrant Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-massey/) > [In a start-up company, you basically throw out all assumptions every three weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/in-a-start-up-company-you-basically-throw-out-all-assumptions-every/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [My job is making irrational people do rational things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scooter-braun/my-job-is-making-irrational-people-do-rational-things/) [Scooter Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scooter-braun/) > [The voice of reason is inaudible to irrational people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardy-grothe/the-voice-of-reason-is-inaudible-to-irrational-people/) [Mardy Grothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mardy-grothe/) > [Nothing could be more irrational than to give the people power, and to withhold from them information without which power is abused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/nothing-could-be-more-irrational-than-to-give-the-people-power-and-to/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [You know, a lot of people are just interested in, in building a company so they can make money and get out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-rock/you-know-a-lot-of-people-are-just-interested-in-in-building-a-company/) [Arthur Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-rock/) > [It occurred to me that building a company was the best way to align a group of people towards building something great. And its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/it-occurred-to-me-that-building-a-company-was-the-best-way-to-align-a/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [It may be easier than ever to start a product, but building a company is just as hard as its ever been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-may-be-easier-than-ever-to-start-a-product-but-building-a-company/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [Building a product is easy. But building the company that builds the product is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-crowley/building-a-product-is-easy-but-building-the-company-that-builds-the/) [Dennis Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-crowley/) > [The good news about building a company during times like this is that the companies that do succeed are going to be extremely strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/the-good-news-about-building-a-company-during-times-like-this-is-that/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [Every phase of building a company is really hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lutke/every-phase-of-building-a-company-is-really-hard/) [Tobias Lutke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lutke/) > [I'm just interested in building a company that doesn't necessarily change lives but adapts people's behaviour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ek/i-m-just-interested-in-building-a-company-that-doesn-t-necessarily/) [Daniel Ek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ek/) > [There's this joy that comes from sitting down to solve a problem and standing up when it's done and good. Building a company or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/there-s-this-joy-that-comes-from-sitting-down-to-solve-a-problem-and/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [Our plate is full. We have a lot to do building our company organically and that is our key focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/our-plate-is-full-we-have-a-lot-to-do-building-our-company/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [Building a company is so much like racing a sailboat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/building-a-company-is-so-much-like-racing-a-sailboat/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) ## More by Keith Rabois > [The key to culture is it's a framework for making decisions. And if it's baked into your culture, people learn how to make decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/the-key-to-culture-is-it-s-a-framework-for-making-decisions-and-if-it/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Build a company that idiots could run because eventually they will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/build-a-company-that-idiots-could-run-because-eventually-they-will/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Every good startup is a cult. And it's really hard to create a cult if you are sharing space with people. Because a cult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/every-good-startup-is-a-cult-and-it-s-really-hard-to-create-a-cult-if/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [You should have a 1-on-1 roughly every 2 weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/you-should-have-a-1-on-1-roughly-every-2-weeks/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Treat customer support as a product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/treat-customer-support-as-a-product/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Transparency people talk a lot about, it's a goal everybody ascribes to but when push comes to shove, very few people actually adhere to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/transparency-people-talk-a-lot-about-it-s-a-goal-everybody-ascribes/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Delegate completely. Let people make mistakes and learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/delegate-completely-let-people-make-mistakes-and-learn/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Don't accept the excuse of complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/don-t-accept-the-excuse-of-complexity/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Ultimately, I don't believe that you can build a company without a lot of effort, and that you need to lead by example.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/ultimately-i-don-t-believe-that-you-can-build-a-company-without-a-lot/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [It's easy to shortcut when you get busy explaining the why's of the world, but it's very important to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/it-s-easy-to-shortcut-when-you-get-busy-explaining-the-why-s-of-the/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Being a venture capitalist to me is like being more of a psychologist. So if you come to my office we have two chairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/being-a-venture-capitalist-to-me-is-like-being-more-of-a-psychologist/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [You need to simplify the value proposition in the company's metrics for success on a whiteboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/you-need-to-simplify-the-value-proposition-in-the-company-s-metrics/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [If people start going to a desk, some one individual employees desk and they don't report to them... it's a sign that they believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/if-people-start-going-to-a-desk-some-one-individual-employees-desk/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [Don't accept the excuse of complexity. A lot of people will tell you, this is too challenging, this is too complicated, yeah well I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/don-t-accept-the-excuse-of-complexity-a-lot-of-people-will-tell-you/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [The office environment that people live in and work in, dictates your culture and how people make decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/the-office-environment-that-people-live-in-and-work-in-dictates-your/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) [Explore all 61 Keith Rabois quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Building a company is basically taking all the irrational people you know... 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