--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Part of what being a great founder is, is…" description: "\"Part of what being a great founder is, is being both able to hold the belief, to think about where it is you want to be doing and want to be going, but..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/reid-hoffman-1342_able_part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is_2993727.png" --- # Part of what being a great founder is, is being both able… ![“Part of what being a great founder is, is being both able to hold the belief, to think about where it is you want to be doing and want to be going, but also be smart enough that you are essentially listening to criticism, negative feedback, competitive entries.” quote by Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/reid-hoffman-1342_able_part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is_2993727.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/reid-hoffman-1342_able_part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is_2993727.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/reid-hoffman-1342_able_part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is_2993727.png) > “Part of what being a great founder is, is being both able to hold the belief, to think about where it is you want to be doing and want to be going, but also be smart enough that you are essentially listening to criticism, negative feedback, competitive entries.” [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great founders must balance bold vision with openness to critique and competition. **In simple terms:** Balance vision and humility. Key Takeaway Stay visionary yet receptive. Themes leadership entrepreneurship humility Mood determined reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - startup fundraising - product development - team building - market entry Key Concepts feedback loops strategic adaptability Questions to Reflect On - How do you filter useful feedback? - When should you trust your own instincts? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on criticism can stall decisive action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Being smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-smart/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-think-1895458/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Entry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entry/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Feedback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feedback/) [Founder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founder/) [Founder Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founder-able-4717956/) [Founders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders/) [Great Founder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-founder-932070/) [Hold Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-belief-1083594/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [Negative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative/) [Negative feedback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-feedback/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [This is classic when you begin thinking about what is a great founder is, you navigate what is apparent paradoxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/this-is-classic-when-you-begin-thinking-about-what-is-a-great-founder/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Having ideas and doing them - that's what entrepreneurship comes down to. That's something that makes you not just a great founder who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/having-ideas-and-doing-them-that-s-what-entrepreneurship-comes-down/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I started, me by myself, found a great co-founder, got up to 95 people, and then it ended with me by myself again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-stuart/i-started-me-by-myself-found-a-great-co-founder-got-up-to-95-people/) [Dan Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-stuart/) > [Being a great founder or early team member is a difficult dialectic - you have to be a bit overconfident, and a big ego…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lonsdale/being-a-great-founder-or-early-team-member-is-a-difficult-dialectic/) [Joe Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lonsdale/) > [Never hold a belief longer than you can hold your breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-rubin/never-hold-a-belief-longer-than-you-can-hold-your-breath/) [Marty Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-rubin/) > [“I hold that belief in God is not merely as reasonable as other belief, or even a little or infinitely more probably true than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-van-til/i-hold-that-belief-in-god-is-not-merely-as-reasonable-as-other-belief/) [Cornelius Van Til](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-van-til/) > [It is almost impossible to state what one in fact believes, because it is almost impossible to hold a belief and to define it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/it-is-almost-impossible-to-state-what-one-in-fact-believes-because-it/) [William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/) > [If you really believe something, you will act in accordance with that belief - always. If you believe in gravity, you will never attempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/if-you-really-believe-something-you-will-act-in-accordance-with-that/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [A lot of people are living in a dream world - they want to deny that aging occurs or believe it doesnt have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lot-of-people-are-living-in-a-dream-world-they-want-to-deny-that/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [That was very comforting to me to hold onto that belief, that I did have a heavenly Father who was watching over me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-smart/that-was-very-comforting-to-me-to-hold-onto-that-belief-that-i-did/) [Elizabeth Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-smart/) > [A lot of people are living in a dream world - they want to deny that aging occurs or believe it doesn't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lot-of-people-are-living-in-a-dream-world-they-want-to-deny-that-2/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [If I ever hear a founder talk about oh this is how I have a balanced life so on and so forth - they're not committed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/if-i-ever-hear-a-founder-talk-about-oh-this-is-how-i-have-a-balanced/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [The reality is: a founder is someone who deals with a ton of different headaches and no one is universally super powered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/the-reality-is-a-founder-is-someone-who-deals-with-a-ton-of-different/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-j-schwartz/believe-big-the-size-of-your-success-is-determined-by-the-size-of-2/) [David J. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-j-schwartz/) > [I believe we create our own lives. And we create it by our thinking, feeling patterns in our belief system. I think we're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-l-hay/i-believe-we-create-our-own-lives-and-we-create-it-by-our-thinking/) [Louise L. Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-l-hay/) ## More by Reid Hoffman > [As an entrepreneur and investor, I prioritize construction and collaboration. Whether it's a five-person start-up or a global giant, the companies that are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/as-an-entrepreneur-and-investor-i-prioritize-construction-and/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [In software speed to market, speed to learning is really key. In hardware if you screw it up you are dead. So accuracy really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/in-software-speed-to-market-speed-to-learning-is-really-key-in/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [“Stockpiling facts won’t get you anywhere. What will get you somewhere is being able to access the information you need, when you need it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/stockpiling-facts-won-t-get-you-anywhere-what-will-get-you-somewhere/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [I think the randomness by Donald Trump's governing, by tweeting, sloganeering, attacking, will create great chaos in the entire market. I think people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/i-think-the-randomness-by-donald-trump-s-governing-by-tweeting/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Democracy is always frustrating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/democracy-is-always-frustrating/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [One of the ways they run forward is by viewing the thing they’re doing as something that’s going to be the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/one-of-the-ways-they-run-forward-is-by-viewing-the-thing-they-re/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [If you could train an AI to be a Buddhist, it would probably be pretty good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/if-you-could-train-an-ai-to-be-a-buddhist-it-would-probably-be-pretty/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [It’s actually pretty easy to be contrarian. It’s hard to be contrarian and right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/it-s-actually-pretty-easy-to-be-contrarian-it-s-hard-to-be-contrarian/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Giving birth to something that could possibly change the lives of millions of people for possibly decades, hundreds of years, whatever the length of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/giving-birth-to-something-that-could-possibly-change-the-lives-of/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [The entrepreneurial journey starts with jumping off a cliff and assembling an airplane on the way down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/the-entrepreneurial-journey-starts-with-jumping-off-a-cliff-and/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Be persistent, and hang on to your vision. And at the same time, be flexible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/be-persistent-and-hang-on-to-your-vision-and-at-the-same-time-be/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [First mover Advantage doesn't go to the company that starts up, it goes to the company that scales up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/first-mover-advantage-doesn-t-go-to-the-company-that-starts-up-it/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Before dreaming about the future or marking plans, you need to articulate what you already have going for you - as entrepreneurs do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/before-dreaming-about-the-future-or-marking-plans-you-need-to/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [The metaphor that I frequently use for entrepreneurship is jumping off a cliff and assembling an airplane plane on the way down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/the-metaphor-that-i-frequently-use-for-entrepreneurship-is-jumping/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [ I think most of \[people\] are not very well educated themselves to understand the Winston Churchill line - democracy is the worst of all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/i-think-most-of-people-are-not-very-well-educated-themselves-to/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) [Explore all 253 Reid Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Part of what being a great founder is, is being both able to hold the belief, to think about where it is you want to be doing and want to be going, but also be smart enough that you are essentially listening to criticism, negative feedback, competitive entries.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Reid Hoffman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is-being-both-able-to-hold-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is-being-both-able-to-hold-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/reid-hoffman-1342_able_part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is_2993727.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/reid-hoffman-1342_able_part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is_2993727.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/reid-hoffman-1342_able_part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is_2993727.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Part of what being a great founder is, is being both able to hold the belief, to think about where it is you…” — Reid Hoffman", "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": "Reid Hoffman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Part of what being a great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is-being-both-able-to-hold-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/part-of-what-being-a-great-founder-is-is-being-both-able-to-hold-the/#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 } } ] } ```