---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think you should ever start a…"
description: "\"I don't think you should ever start a business and move in a direction where you can't see it becoming a business.\" — Kevin Systrom"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/kevin-systrom-12507_becoming_i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-bu_2833915.png"
---

#  I don't think you should ever start a business and move in…

![“I don't think you should ever start a business and move in a direction where you can't see it becoming a business.” quote by Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/kevin-systrom-12507_becoming_i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-bu_2833915.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/kevin-systrom-12507_becoming_i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-bu_2833915.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/kevin-systrom-12507_becoming_i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-bu_2833915.png)

> “I don't think you should ever start a business and move in a direction where you can't see it becoming a business.”

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Start a business only when you can envision its future viability.

**In simple terms:** Only start if you see a clear path.

Key Takeaway

Validate vision before launching.

Themes

entrepreneurship strategy vision

Mood

analytical pragmatic

Type

business strategic

When to use this quote

- product development
- fundraising

Key Concepts

business modeling market research long‑term planning

Questions to Reflect On

- How will you test your business assumptions?
- What metrics will confirm viability?

A Different Perspective

Overconfidence can blind you to hidden challenges.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [A lot of performing instincts are involved in the business of direction, but so is analysis and having a sense of literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/a-lot-of-performing-instincts-are-involved-in-the-business-of/)

[Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/)

> [It is incredibly important to set goals for your business, as if you have no direction for your business, your online business will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrizio-moreira/it-is-incredibly-important-to-set-goals-for-your-business-as-if-you/)

[Fabrizio Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrizio-moreira/)

> [I was one of those guys who never wanted to start their own business. I never saw myself as a leader. I saw myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herjavec/i-was-one-of-those-guys-who-never-wanted-to-start-their-own-business/)

[Robert Herjavec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herjavec/)

> [You should pursue your passion. If you're passionate about something and you work hard, then I think you'll be successful. If you start a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/you-should-pursue-your-passion-if-you-re-passionate-about-something/)

[Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/)

> [In 1987, Merrill Lynch asked me to open a Swiss capital markets operation. I was 27. In hindsight, I was lucky enough to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-ermotti/in-1987-merrill-lynch-asked-me-to-open-a-swiss-capital-markets/)

[Sergio Ermotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-ermotti/)

> [Only morons start a business on a loan?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/only-morons-start-a-business-on-a-loan/)

[Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/)

> [I think most people who try to start a business, they realise very quickly that one of the biggest hurdles is having to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/i-think-most-people-who-try-to-start-a-business-they-realise-very/)

[Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/)

> [You start a business, and you really don't have much of a budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/you-start-a-business-and-you-really-don-t-have-much-of-a-budget/)

[Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/)

> [After working with my father for two years, we started Candie's, a line of imported shoes from Italy. Then in 1982 I set out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-cole/after-working-with-my-father-for-two-years-we-started-candie-s-a-line/)

[Kenneth Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-cole/)

> [It's a myth that you need thousands of pounds to start a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-davies/it-s-a-myth-that-you-need-thousands-of-pounds-to-start-a-business/)

[Sara Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-davies/)

> [A lot of people want to start a business, and they're like, 'I wanna start a business, give me some money to invest.' Where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-yee/a-lot-of-people-want-to-start-a-business-and-they-re-like-i-wanna/)

[Angela Yee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-yee/)

> [If you can, start your own business while you're working another job so that your bills get paid. Choose something that you love, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-roy/if-you-can-start-your-own-business-while-you-re-working-another-job/)

[Rachel Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-roy/)

> [The number one thing I would say to someone who wants to start a business is if you really can't sleep at night and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leandra-medine/the-number-one-thing-i-would-say-to-someone-who-wants-to-start-a/)

[Leandra Medine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leandra-medine/)

> [Take control of who you report to, what you do, what you create. Or start a business on the side. Deliver some value, any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/take-control-of-who-you-report-to-what-you-do-what-you-create-or/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [“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 Kevin Systrom

> [If you've got an idea, start today. There's no better time than now to get going. That doesn't mean quit your job and jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/if-you-ve-got-an-idea-start-today-there-s-no-better-time-than-now-to/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [What people tell you and how they act is very, very different sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/what-people-tell-you-and-how-they-act-is-very-very-different-sometimes/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [I've always been into taking my photos, cropping them square, putting them through a filter in Photoshop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-ve-always-been-into-taking-my-photos-cropping-them-square-putting/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [Instagram was created because there was no single place dedicated to giving your mobile photos a place to live and to be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/instagram-was-created-because-there-was-no-single-place-dedicated-to/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [The major reason why Instagram works is that you can follow anyone out there and start following their photos immediately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/the-major-reason-why-instagram-works-is-that-you-can-follow-anyone/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [I believe photos is one of the underlying things in every social network that becomes successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-believe-photos-is-one-of-the-underlying-things-in-every-social/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [I was never as focused in math, science, computer science, etcetera, as the people who were best at it. I wanted to create amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-was-never-as-focused-in-math-science-computer-science-etcetera-as/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [I think not focusing on money makes you sane, because in the long run it can probably drive you crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-think-not-focusing-on-money-makes-you-sane-because-in-the-long-run/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [People have presences, both online and in real life. You can choose to show everything, meaning all sides of you, or you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/people-have-presences-both-online-and-in-real-life-you-can-choose-to/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [We're just taking people and shifting them from taking photos anyway to taking them on Instagram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/we-re-just-taking-people-and-shifting-them-from-taking-photos-anyway/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [If you've got an idea, start today. There's no better time than now to get going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/if-you-ve-got-an-idea-start-today-there-s-no-better-time-than-now-to-2/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [A lot of the earliest Instagram celebrities took really beautiful photos. But you're starting to see a change where it's not about beauty; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/a-lot-of-the-earliest-instagram-celebrities-took-really-beautiful/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [I really appreciate crafts. I like cooking. I love food and drink. I love owning that through Instagram. Although that can be challenging at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-really-appreciate-crafts-i-like-cooking-i-love-food-and-drink-i/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [I have a pretty random life. I run a business and go all over the world doing things for that business, things that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-have-a-pretty-random-life-i-run-a-business-and-go-all-over-the/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

> [People interact with their phones very differently than they do with their PCs, and I think that when you design from the ground up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/people-interact-with-their-phones-very-differently-than-they-do-with/)

[Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

[Explore all 54 Kevin Systrom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/)

## More Becoming quotes

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/)

[Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/)

> [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/)

[Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/)

> [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/)

[Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/)

> [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/)

[John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/)

> [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/)

Christopher Wood

> [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/)

[Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/)

> [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't think you should ever start a business and move in a direction where you can't see it becoming a business.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kevin Systrom"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-business-and-move-in-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Becoming"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-business-and-move-in-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/kevin-systrom-12507_becoming_i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-bu_2833915.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/kevin-systrom-12507_becoming_i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-bu_2833915.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/kevin-systrom-12507_becoming_i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-bu_2833915.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't think you should ever start a business and move in a direction where you can't see it becoming a…” — Kevin Systrom",
                "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": "Kevin Systrom",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't think you should ever...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-business-and-move-in-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-start-a-business-and-move-in-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
