--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am surprised at all the people in the…" description: "\"I am surprised at all the people in the high-tech industry focused on \"making money\"... If that's all they want to do, they should have a $100 printing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/philippe-kahn-26799_basements_i-am-surprised-at-all-the-people-in-the_899372.jpg" --- # I am surprised at all the people in the high-tech industry… ![“I am surprised at all the people in the high-tech industry focused on "making money"... If that's all they want to do, they should have a $100 printing press in their basements and they will truly "make money." Instead, if we focus all that energy on innovation, we'll change the world for the best.” quote by Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/philippe-kahn-26799_basements_i-am-surprised-at-all-the-people-in-the_899372.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/philippe-kahn-26799_basements_i-am-surprised-at-all-the-people-in-the_899372.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/philippe-kahn-26799_basements_i-am-surprised-at-all-the-people-in-the_899372.jpg) > “I am surprised at all the people in the high-tech industry focused on "making money"... If that's all they want to do, they should have a $100 printing press in their basements and they will truly "make money." Instead, if we focus all that energy on innovation, we'll change the world for the best.” [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritizing profit over innovation limits societal impact; true progress comes from creative focus. **In simple terms:** Money‑first thinking hinders change. Key Takeaway Choose innovation over profit. Themes innovation technology values impact entrepreneurship Mood critical reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - startup strategy - product development - R&D budgeting - company culture Key Concepts disruption creative drive social good Questions to Reflect On - How can companies balance profit and innovation? - What incentives foster creative risk‑taking? A Different Perspective Profit motives can sustain short‑term gains but erode long‑term relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) [Changing the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-the-world/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Making money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-money/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Printing press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/printing-press/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I think the high-tech industry is used to developing new things very quickly. It's the Silicon Valley way of doing business: You either move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-the-high-tech-industry-is-used-to-developing-new-things-very/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [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 high-tech industry needs the immigration of highly qualified labor, from India, from China, from everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-bloom/the-high-tech-industry-needs-the-immigration-of-highly-qualified/) [Nicholas Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-bloom/) > [Technological civilizations don't last long. You're all right until you get a printing press. Then a race starts between technology and common sense. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/technological-civilizations-don-t-last-long-you-re-all-right-until/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Break up the printing presses and you break up rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dudley-nichols/break-up-the-printing-presses-and-you-break-up-rebellion/) [Dudley Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dudley-nichols/) > [Things like social media and the Internet, of course, it's not going away. There is no cure for it. And this shouldn't be just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/things-like-social-media-and-the-internet-of-course-it-s-not-going/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [Think for a moment of the great agents and engines of our civilization, and then think what shadowy ideas they all once were. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/think-for-a-moment-of-the-great-agents-and-engines-of-our/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [Even with the sacred printing press, we got erotic novels 150 years before we got scientific journals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/even-with-the-sacred-printing-press-we-got-erotic-novels-150-years/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [The U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press (or today, its electronic equivalent), that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/the-u-s-government-has-a-technology-called-a-printing-press-or-today-2/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [We become, after the arrival of the printing press in general, more attentive more attuned to contemplative ways of thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-g-carr/we-become-after-the-arrival-of-the-printing-press-in-general-more/) [Nicholas G. Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-g-carr/) > [Ink is the blood of the printing-press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/ink-is-the-blood-of-the-printing-press/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [I am not offering this is a critique of the internet, its just that there are a lot of factors involved. It does offer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-am-not-offering-this-is-a-critique-of-the-internet-its-just-that/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [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/) > [The U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press (or, today, its electronic equivalent), that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/the-u-s-government-has-a-technology-called-a-printing-press-or-today/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [TV is bigger than any story it reports. It's the greatest teaching tool since the printing press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-w-friendly/tv-is-bigger-than-any-story-it-reports-it-s-the-greatest-teaching/) [Fred W. Friendly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-w-friendly/) ## More by Philippe Kahn > [The power of Open Source is the power of the people. The people rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/the-power-of-open-source-is-the-power-of-the-people-the-people-rule/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [The biggest enemy is doubt. If you don’t believe in what you are doing, you aren’t going to make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/the-biggest-enemy-is-doubt-if-you-don-t-believe-in-what-you-are-doing/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [Every day I practise my flute. I've been doing it for decades and every day I find something new that inspires me for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/every-day-i-practise-my-flute-i-ve-been-doing-it-for-decades-and/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [Camera-Phones are at the root of the Citizen-Journalism revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/camera-phones-are-at-the-root-of-the-citizen-journalism-revolution/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [Radically simplify the user interface, reinvent it, enough face lifts! You can put as much lipstick on a chicken as you want, it's never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/radically-simplify-the-user-interface-reinvent-it-enough-face-lifts/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [Just like a picture is worth 1000 words, a camera phone is worth 1000 cell phones!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/just-like-a-picture-is-worth-1000-words-a-camera-phone-is-worth-1000/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [Too many are focused on rewriting the past, invent the future!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/too-many-are-focused-on-rewriting-the-past-invent-the-future/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [We are less than a decade away from the medical lab the size of a sugar cube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/we-are-less-than-a-decade-away-from-the-medical-lab-the-size-of-a/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [There is no greater goal than to truly improve Mr and Ms Everyone's health, as an innovator that is where I want to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/there-is-no-greater-goal-than-to-truly-improve-mr-and-ms-everyone-s/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [If people would turn their TVs off for half the time, study science and practice an instrument, they'd be virtuosos and have Ph.Ds!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/if-people-would-turn-their-tvs-off-for-half-the-time-study-science/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [We focus on building innovation and inventing technology futures and we figure that it will take care of the rest. So far, it's done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/we-focus-on-building-innovation-and-inventing-technology-futures-and/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [Accelerometrics is a cool new discipline. Newton and Galileo would love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/accelerometrics-is-a-cool-new-discipline-newton-and-galileo-would/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [I rarely saw people sitting at computers producing real code wearing ties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/i-rarely-saw-people-sitting-at-computers-producing-real-code-wearing/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [I build things that I think are exciting from a technology standpoint and will help make life easier, simpler and better for people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/i-build-things-that-i-think-are-exciting-from-a-technology-standpoint/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [I figured that I wasn't as smart or talented as the other kids around, so I just had to work twice as hard. Surprisingly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/i-figured-that-i-wasn-t-as-smart-or-talented-as-the-other-kids-around/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) [Explore all 21 Philippe Kahn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) ## More Basements quotes > [Ireland starts for me with the end of 'The Dead,' which my father read to me from his desk in his basement office in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/ireland-starts-for-me-with-the-end-of-the-dead-which-my-father-read/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [If the watchdog doesn't bark, how do you know there's a burglar in the basement? And the press is supposed to be a watchdog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/if-the-watchdog-doesn-t-bark-how-do-you-know-there-s-a-burglar-in-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [Every time I get in an elevator, the operator says the same thing to me: 'Basement?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/every-time-i-get-in-an-elevator-the-operator-says-the-same-thing-to/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [White Zombie was a bunch of kids with the worst equipment playing in a basement. But that is what is so great about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/white-zombie-was-a-bunch-of-kids-with-the-worst-equipment-playing-in/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [I might be in the basement. I'll go upstairs and check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/i-might-be-in-the-basement-i-ll-go-upstairs-and-check/) [M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/) > [The problem is that the internet IS some kid in a basement with an opinion. The fact that David Bowie and Elton John told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/page-hamilton/the-problem-is-that-the-internet-is-some-kid-in-a-basement-with-an/) [Page Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/page-hamilton/) > [I love getting into the basement of a courthouse, and all the dusty records - all that stuff makes me really happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-cameron/i-love-getting-into-the-basement-of-a-courthouse-and-all-the-dusty/) [Sharon Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-cameron/) > [My husband is a musician. He cooks and he's a chef but he also, he makes basement recordings. So many people in my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-spiotta/my-husband-is-a-musician-he-cooks-and-he-s-a-chef-but-he-also-he/) [Dana Spiotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-spiotta/) > [SM is an art. Doing it well requires more than a bag full of expensive whips and exotic electrical toys, a closet full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sm-is-an-art-doing-it-well-requires-more-than-a-bag-full-of-expensive/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the green-screen stuff - all the special effects stuff - I shot right there in my house, in the basement in my theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vickie-winans/all-the-green-screen-stuff-all-the-special-effects-stuff-i-shot-right/) Vickie Winans > [We made basement practice songs.To have them presented in such a huge fashion today - like at Primavera, where it's thousands of people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pajo/we-made-basement-practice-songs-to-have-them-presented-in-such-a-huge/) [David Pajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pajo/) > [After my grandfather died I went down to the basement of my family house where my family kept books, anthologies and things and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/after-my-grandfather-died-i-went-down-to-the-basement-of-my-family/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [The massive corruption common in so many developing countries would be quite impossible if Western countries did not provide convenient opportunities to ship ill-gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/the-massive-corruption-common-in-so-many-developing-countries-would/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Off-the-rack solutions, like bargain basement dresses, never fit anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-giroud/off-the-rack-solutions-like-bargain-basement-dresses-never-fit-anymore/) [Francoise Giroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-giroud/) > [No matter what else you came up against, if you could smile and laugh while a monkey did you with chestnuts in a dank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/no-matter-what-else-you-came-up-against-if-you-could-smile-and-laugh/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) Browse all 243 Basements quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am surprised at all the people in the high-tech industry focused on \"making money\"... 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