--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Radical innovation is difficult to fund…" description: "\"Radical innovation is difficult to fund. It seems scary. And the really radical things seem even more scary.\" — Nolan Bushnell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/nolan-bushnell-5525_difficult_radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund_2956315.png" --- # Radical innovation is difficult to fund. It seems scary… ![“Radical innovation is difficult to fund. It seems scary. And the really radical things seem even more scary.” quote by Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/nolan-bushnell-5525_difficult_radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund_2956315.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/nolan-bushnell-5525_difficult_radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund_2956315.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/nolan-bushnell-5525_difficult_radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund_2956315.png) > “Radical innovation is difficult to fund. It seems scary. And the really radical things seem even more scary.” [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Funding radical ideas is risky and intimidating, especially when the concepts are extreme. **In simple terms:** Big ideas are hard to finance and scary. Key Takeaway Seek bold back, manage fear. Themes entrepreneurship risk innovation Mood cautious optimistic Type advice reflective When to use this quote - startup funding - new technology development - high‑risk projects Key Concepts venture capital market uncertainty Questions to Reflect On - What strategies can reduce fear in seeking radical funding? - How can investors be convinced of extreme ideas? A Different Perspective Funding may be limited by market conservatism; not all radical ideas succeed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical/) ## Related quotes > [It's very difficult for me to do fund raising for my own organization if I'm working for other companies because sponsors will say, 'Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/it-s-very-difficult-for-me-to-do-fund-raising-for-my-own-organization/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [“innovation is a very difficult thing in the real world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/innovation-is-a-very-difficult-thing-in-the-real-world/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [We each have a litany of holiday rituals and everyday habits that we hold on to, and we often greet radical innovation with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/we-each-have-a-litany-of-holiday-rituals-and-everyday-habits-that-we/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [“Radical innovation is what many people seek, for it is the big, spectacular form of change. But most radical ideas fail, and even those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/radical-innovation-is-what-many-people-seek-for-it-is-the-big/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [We tend to think of innovation as difficult, but with the creative use of The 80/20 Principle innovation can be both easy and fun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/we-tend-to-think-of-innovation-as-difficult-but-with-the-creative-use/) [Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/) > [\*\*New business concepts are always, always the product of lucky foresight.\*\* That's right - the essential insight doesn't come out of any dirigiste planning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/new-business-concepts-are-always-always-the-product-of-lucky/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Rapid innovation is the cure for the ills we face, but because innovation is difficult and susceptible to failure, we might need to rethink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-owen/rapid-innovation-is-the-cure-for-the-ills-we-face-but-because/) [Richard Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-owen/) > [I got into the music business thinking it was really radical, that it wasn't really a business at all, that it was a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/i-got-into-the-music-business-thinking-it-was-really-radical-that-it/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [You can do something really radical, which is turn your phone off and reclaim your private life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devra-davis/you-can-do-something-really-radical-which-is-turn-your-phone-off-and/) [Devra Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devra-davis/) > [I do think it's a real problem when we have 'Black Lives Matter' making statements that are really radical, that are absolutely false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/i-do-think-it-s-a-real-problem-when-we-have-black-lives-matter-making/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [“Max paused as a radical idea hit him. Really radical. The kind that would either save them or damn the entire world. Too bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/max-paused-as-a-radical-idea-hit-him-really-radical-the-kind-that/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I thought I was really a radical, political person, which of course I am not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/i-thought-i-was-really-a-radical-political-person-which-of-course-i/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [If I say most people are pretty decent that may sound nice and warm but actually it's really radical and subversive and that's why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/if-i-say-most-people-are-pretty-decent-that-may-sound-nice-and-warm/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [It really is a very radical call ... to reject materialism as our central value and to think about the sanctity of life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-oreskes/it-really-is-a-very-radical-call-to-reject-materialism-as-our-central/) [Naomi Oreskes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-oreskes/) > [My politics were really radical when I was younger, and then I moderated like everyone else does when they start having kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-earle/my-politics-were-really-radical-when-i-was-younger-and-then-i/) [Steve Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-earle/) ## More by Nolan Bushnell > [Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or Chuck E. Cheese's were from high school dropouts, college dropouts. One guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/some-of-the-best-projects-to-ever-come-out-of-atari-or-chuck-e-cheese/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I guess I'd like to be known for being an innovator, fostering creativity, thinking outside the box. You know, keeping people playful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-guess-i-d-like-to-be-known-for-being-an-innovator-fostering/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I've always been a tech-head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-ve-always-been-a-tech-head/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [In 1980, Atari was bringing in around two billion dollars in revenue and Chuck E. Cheese's some five hundred million. I still didn't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/in-1980-atari-was-bringing-in-around-two-billion-dollars-in-revenue/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I believe that in games, when you're talking about pitting my wits and my brain against your wits and your brain, that simplicity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-believe-that-in-games-when-you-re-talking-about-pitting-my-wits-and/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [The subtle generational cues that make one thing cool and another uncool aren't always obvious to a parent. My children are my dinner-table sounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-subtle-generational-cues-that-make-one-thing-cool-and-another/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [The truly creative people tend to be outliers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-truly-creative-people-tend-to-be-outliers/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I'm a big believer in the Wii. I love the physicality of the Wii controller, and how you can get the feeling of throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-m-a-big-believer-in-the-wii-i-love-the-physicality-of-the-wii/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Women were very, very good at 'Pong'. It was part of the dating scene. The number of people who told me they met their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/women-were-very-very-good-at-pong-it-was-part-of-the-dating-scene-the/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Learning ballroom dancing is great for your brain. But it only works for three to six months. After that, you've got all the benefit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/learning-ballroom-dancing-is-great-for-your-brain-but-it-only-works/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Walk to work, even if it's four miles. Ride a bike to work. Drive a different way. On your way there, try to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/walk-to-work-even-if-it-s-four-miles-ride-a-bike-to-work-drive-a/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Hire for passion and intensity; there is training for everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/hire-for-passion-and-intensity-there-is-training-for-everything-else/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [When I was running Atari, violence against humanoid figures was not allowed. We'd let you shoot at a tank... but we drew the line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/when-i-was-running-atari-violence-against-humanoid-figures-was-not/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [You wanna build your IQ higher in the next two years? Be uncomfortable. That means, learn something where you have a beginner's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/you-wanna-build-your-iq-higher-in-the-next-two-years-be-uncomfortable/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [People hate to and will not read instructions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/people-hate-to-and-will-not-read-instructions/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) [Explore all 100 Nolan Bushnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) ## More Difficult quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) Browse all 13,132 Difficult quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Radical innovation is difficult to fund. It seems scary. And the really radical things seem even more scary.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nolan Bushnell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund-it-seems-scary-and-the-really/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Difficult" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund-it-seems-scary-and-the-really/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/nolan-bushnell-5525_difficult_radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund_2956315.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/nolan-bushnell-5525_difficult_radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund_2956315.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/nolan-bushnell-5525_difficult_radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund_2956315.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Radical innovation is difficult to fund. It seems scary. And the really radical things seem even more scary.” — Nolan Bushnell", "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": "Nolan Bushnell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Radical innovation is difficult to fund....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund-it-seems-scary-and-the-really/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/radical-innovation-is-difficult-to-fund-it-seems-scary-and-the-really/#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 } } ] } ```