--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I were starting now I would do things…" description: "\"If I were starting now I would do things very differently. I didn't know anything. In Silicon Valley, you get this feeling that you have to be out here..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/mark-zuckerberg-858_boston_if-i-were-starting-now-i-would-do-things_300210.jpg" --- # If I were starting now I would do things very differently… ![“If I were starting now I would do things very differently. I didn't know anything. In Silicon Valley, you get this feeling that you have to be out here. But it's not the only place to be. If I were starting now, I would have stayed in Boston. [Silicon Valley] is a little short-term focused and…” quote by Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/mark-zuckerberg-858_boston_if-i-were-starting-now-i-would-do-things_300210.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/mark-zuckerberg-858_boston_if-i-were-starting-now-i-would-do-things_300210.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/mark-zuckerberg-858_boston_if-i-were-starting-now-i-would-do-things_300210.jpg) > “If I were starting now I would do things very differently. I didn't know anything. In Silicon Valley, you get this feeling that you have to be out here. But it's not the only place to be. If I were starting now, I would have stayed in Boston. \[Silicon Valley\] is a little short-term focused and that bothers me.” [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He regrets not staying in Boston, believing Silicon Valley’s short‑term focus limited broader opportunities. **In simple terms:** Regret staying in Boston over Silicon Valley Key Takeaway Consider long‑term environment before moving Themes career decisions geography industry focus Mood reflective analytical Type advice career When to use this quote - Choosing a startup location - career planning - network building Key Concepts Opportunity cost regional ecosystems life balance Questions to Reflect On - What environment aligns with your long‑term goals? - How does geography affect career trajectory? A Different Perspective Silicon Valley may not suit every ambition; other hubs offer depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Short term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-term/) [Silicon valley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silicon-valley/) ## Related quotes > [All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/all-growth-starts-at-the-end-of-your-comfort-zone/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [We have some breaking news from our dedicated kale coverage desk here at NPR.Starting now, Chick-fil-A has kale on its menu next to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-shapiro/we-have-some-breaking-news-from-our-dedicated-kale-coverage-desk-here/) [Ari Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-shapiro/) > [You have the ability to change or create anything in your life, starting now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/you-have-the-ability-to-change-or-create-anything-in-your-life/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Using any reasonable definition of a scientist, we can say that 80 to 90 percent of all the scientists that have ever lived are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-j-de-solla-price/using-any-reasonable-definition-of-a-scientist-we-can-say-that-80-to/) Derek J. de Solla Price > [Starting now, you're just starting to see a glimmer of what the idea of West will mean. So right now, at this age and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/starting-now-you-re-just-starting-to-see-a-glimmer-of-what-the-idea/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [My friends are people who like building cool stuff. We always have this joke about people who want to just start companies without making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/my-friends-are-people-who-like-building-cool-stuff-we-always-have/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [If you think about companies that were built in Silicon Valley, a lot of them early on were chip companies. And now the companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/if-you-think-about-companies-that-were-built-in-silicon-valley-a-lot/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Of course the Silicon Valley is unique and Berlin is not yet comparable. But of all the different cities that are building a startup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/of-course-the-silicon-valley-is-unique-and-berlin-is-not-yet/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [Sometimes it feels hard to remember that Silicon Valley is an actual place, a collage of parched suburbs, and not just the collective noun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/sometimes-it-feels-hard-to-remember-that-silicon-valley-is-an-actual/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [The reason why Silicon Valley is a worldwide innovation center is because it is a open culture that embraces diversity. You see people from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/the-reason-why-silicon-valley-is-a-worldwide-innovation-center-is/) [Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/) > [Autism is a big continuum, going from someone who remains nonverbal, all the way up to geniuses on Silicon Valley. And some kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/autism-is-a-big-continuum-going-from-someone-who-remains-nonverbal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [I think there are four or five interesting pockets where a lot of cool technology companies are getting started. Chicago is one of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lefkofsky/i-think-there-are-four-or-five-interesting-pockets-where-a-lot-of/) [Eric Lefkofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lefkofsky/) > [Silicon Valley does not breed great technology. Instead, the smartest people from around the world tend to move to Silicon Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-collison/silicon-valley-does-not-breed-great-technology-instead-the-smartest/) [Patrick Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-collison/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) ## More by Mark Zuckerberg > [First up is Kirkland. They keep everything open and allow indexes in their Apache configuration, so a little w-get magic is all that's necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/first-up-is-kirkland-they-keep-everything-open-and-allow-indexes-in/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [I think there's confusion around what the point of social networks is. A lot of different companies characterized as social networks have different goals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/i-think-there-s-confusion-around-what-the-point-of-social-networks-is/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Facebook is inherently viral. There are lots of sites that include a contact importer, and for lots of them it doesn't really make sense.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/facebook-is-inherently-viral-there-are-lots-of-sites-that-include-a/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Thanks to all of these efforts, our business is doing really well, and we're on track to create a nice self-sustaining business, and because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/thanks-to-all-of-these-efforts-our-business-is-doing-really-well-and/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Frankly, I think that the news industry is critically important because it points out things and surfaces truths that can often be uncomfortable. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/frankly-i-think-that-the-news-industry-is-critically-important/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [The biggest risk is not taking any risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/the-biggest-risk-is-not-taking-any-risk/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [The truth is she has a nice face. I need to do something to take my mind off her. Easy enough, except I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/the-truth-is-she-has-a-nice-face-i-need-to-do-something-to-take-my/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [If you look at the history of our country over the last 100 years, there have been periods where science and research have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/if-you-look-at-the-history-of-our-country-over-the-last-100-years/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [It is really important for us that people understand what the strategy is and that the real approach is to make everything social, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/it-is-really-important-for-us-that-people-understand-what-the/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Our strategy is very horizontal. We're trying to build a social layer for everything. Basically we're trying to make it so that every app…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/our-strategy-is-very-horizontal-we-re-trying-to-build-a-social-layer/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [When most people ask about a business growing, what they really mean is growing revenue, not just growing the number of people using a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/when-most-people-ask-about-a-business-growing-what-they-really-mean/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [The community - more than two billion people use our products, and we get that, with that, a lot of people are using that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/the-community-more-than-two-billion-people-use-our-products-and-we/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Once you have a product that you are happy with, you the need to centralize things to continue growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/once-you-have-a-product-that-you-are-happy-with-you-the-need-to/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [At Facebook, we’re inspired by technologies that have revolutionized how people spread and consume information. We often talk about inventions like the printing press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/at-facebook-we-re-inspired-by-technologies-that-have-revolutionized/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Openness fundamentally affects a lot of the core institutions in society - the media, the economy, how people relate to the government and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/openness-fundamentally-affects-a-lot-of-the-core-institutions-in/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) [Explore all 348 Mark Zuckerberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) ## More Boston quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [“Mom, I live in the South End, not South Boston. They are entirely different neighborhoods.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-swanson-goodreads-author/mom-i-live-in-the-south-end-not-south-boston-they-are-entirely/) Peter Swanson (Goodreads Author > [I think there are four or five interesting pockets where a lot of cool technology companies are getting started. Chicago is one of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lefkofsky/i-think-there-are-four-or-five-interesting-pockets-where-a-lot-of/) [Eric Lefkofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lefkofsky/) > [I love cooking but I still always go and sneak a little bit of sides from Boston Market, and it's so good. They're so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-walsh/i-love-cooking-but-i-still-always-go-and-sneak-a-little-bit-of-sides/) [Kate Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-walsh/) > [Boston is one of my favorite places to wrestle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rikishi/boston-is-one-of-my-favorite-places-to-wrestle/) [Rikishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rikishi/) > [I ain't got no problem in Boston, I especially like the attention. I know that I'm one of the top guys in this game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/i-ain-t-got-no-problem-in-boston-i-especially-like-the-attention-i/) [Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/) > [I lived to play basketball. Growing up as a kid, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics were my favorite team. The way they played,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/i-lived-to-play-basketball-growing-up-as-a-kid-bill-russell-and-the/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [The success of Boston's economy is intertwined with the health and well-being of every neighborhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wu/the-success-of-boston-s-economy-is-intertwined-with-the-health-and/) [Michelle Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wu/) > [2004 was a great year for Boston! The Patriots won the Super Bowl! Boston hosted its first national political convention! And - the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-menino/2004-was-a-great-year-for-boston-the-patriots-won-the-super-bowl/) [Thomas Menino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-menino/) > [ It was when Boston invited us to do a parade one November, and I was the only \[Star Wars\] cast member skeptical of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratzenberger/it-was-when-boston-invited-us-to-do-a-parade-one-november-and-i-was/) [John Ratzenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratzenberger/) > [Now I have been studying very closely what happens every day in the courts in Boston, Massachusetts. You would be astounded--maybe you wouldn't, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/now-i-have-been-studying-very-closely-what-happens-every-day-in-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Boston's justice system is in serious need of reform. Many of its policies and practices are antiquated, expensive, and don't really even make Boston…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-king/boston-s-justice-system-is-in-serious-need-of-reform-many-of-its/) [Shaun King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-king/) > [I grew up outside of Boston in a town called Manchester by the Sea, and we spent our summers in Nantucket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-faxon/i-grew-up-outside-of-boston-in-a-town-called-manchester-by-the-sea/) [Nat Faxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-faxon/) > [Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture, ... When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/priests-like-all-of-us-are-affected-by-culture-when-the-culture-is/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) [Browse all 787 Boston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I were starting now I would do things very differently. I didn't know anything. In Silicon Valley, you get this feeling that you have to be out here. But it's not the only place to be. If I were starting now, I would have stayed in Boston. 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