--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thousands of people could’ve done what…" description: "\"“Thousands of people could’ve done what Bill Gates did at that moment, but they didn’t. Gates acted upon the moment.”\" — RosettaBooks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/rosettabooks-25066_gates_thousands-of-people-could-ve-done-what-b_2399299.jpg" --- # Thousands of people could’ve done what Bill Gates did at… ![“Thousands of people could’ve done what Bill Gates did at that moment, but they didn’t. Gates acted upon the moment.” quote by RosettaBooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/rosettabooks-25066_gates_thousands-of-people-could-ve-done-what-b_2399299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/rosettabooks-25066_gates_thousands-of-people-could-ve-done-what-b_2399299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/rosettabooks-25066_gates_thousands-of-people-could-ve-done-what-b_2399299.jpg) > ““Thousands of people could’ve done what Bill Gates did at that moment, but they didn’t. Gates acted upon the moment.”” RosettaBooks ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that seizing opportunities distinguishes extraordinary achievers from the many who fail to act. **In simple terms:** Acting on opportunities sets successful people apart. Key Takeaway Seize moments promptly. Themes opportunity action achievement Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational pragmatic When to use this quote - career decisions - entrepreneurial ventures - personal projects - investment choices Key Concepts initiative timing agency Questions to Reflect On - What opportunities are you hesitating on? - How can you prepare to act when moments arise? A Different Perspective Success also depends on resources and preparation, not just timing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Bill Gates did predict that computers for people made sense because he wrote a basic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/bill-gates-did-predict-that-computers-for-people-made-sense-because/) [Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/) > [ I asked Secretary \[Robert\] Gates, what did they get in return for giving up the nuclear shield of Poland and the Czech Republic? And… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/i-asked-secretary-robert-gates-what-did-they-get-in-return-for-giving/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [“There's never been a moment when I didn't recognize you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/there-s-never-been-a-moment-when-i-didn-t-recognize-you/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“The moment you found me, I didn’t stand a chance.” His”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepper-winters/the-moment-you-found-me-i-didn-t-stand-a-chance-his/) [Pepper Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepper-winters/) > [“It’s true, I almost hit him. And I would have too, if at the last moment he didn’t swerve out of the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-s-true-i-almost-hit-him-and-i-would-have-too-if-at-the-last-moment/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“We shall throw him out onto the streets, I promise you he'll be gone by morning. Oh-no, you can't mean that- Of course I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/we-shall-throw-him-out-onto-the-streets-i-promise-you-he-ll-be-gone/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If you say you had a zen moment, you already didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-sulkin/if-you-say-you-had-a-zen-moment-you-already-didn-t/) [Alec Sulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-sulkin/) > [“This . . . this was it. The moment that changed your world. The moment that didn’t just show you heaven but walked you right inside it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/this-this-was-it-the-moment-that-changed-your-world-the-moment-that/) [Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/) > [They say that at that moment you didn't do this, you didn't do that, but at that time I didn't have the means. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustin-misago/they-say-that-at-that-moment-you-didn-t-do-this-you-didn-t-do-that/) [Augustin Misago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustin-misago/) > [When you drank the world was still out there, but for the moment it didn’t have you by the throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/when-you-drank-the-world-was-still-out-there-but-for-the-moment-it/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [If you ever thought for a moment that I didn't care about you in the wake of our silenced void please know I did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-hill/if-you-ever-thought-for-a-moment-that-i-didn-t-care-about-you-in-the/) [Nicole Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-hill/) > [I don't think generally speaking, there are a lot of innovators and inventors. Many of the designers take what exists already and update it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-hilfiger/i-don-t-think-generally-speaking-there-are-a-lot-of-innovators-and/) [Tommy Hilfiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-hilfiger/) > [If Bill Gates left Microsoft we wouldn't allow Donald Trump to run it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-bill-gates-left-microsoft-we-wouldn-t-allow-donald-trump-to-run-it/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) ## More by RosettaBooks > [“But I think the most important aspect of The 7 Habits—what makes it not just practical, but profound—is its emphasis on building character rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/but-i-think-the-most-important-aspect-of-the-7-habits-what-makes-it/) RosettaBooks > [“Whether you feel that your soul is pleased by the conception or contemplation of harmonies, or that your mind is stimulated by the aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/whether-you-feel-that-your-soul-is-pleased-by-the-conception-or/) RosettaBooks > [“But is it possible that my spouse isn’t the real problem? Could I be empowering my spouse’s weaknesses and making my life a function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/but-is-it-possible-that-my-spouse-isn-t-the-real-problem-could-i-be/) RosettaBooks > [“Still, organizations are composed of people, and the more effective those people, the stronger the organization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/still-organizations-are-composed-of-people-and-the-more-effective/) RosettaBooks > [“Covey wrote primarily about building character, not about “achieving success”—and thereby helped people become not just more effective individuals, but better leaders;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/covey-wrote-primarily-about-building-character-not-about-achieving/) RosettaBooks > [“Covey set out to write a book, not on building great organizations, but on achieving great personal effectiveness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/covey-set-out-to-write-a-book-not-on-building-great-organizations-but/) RosettaBooks > [“I’ve come to a personal belief that a key ingredient in the West Point recipe is the idea that great leadership begins first with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/i-ve-come-to-a-personal-belief-that-a-key-ingredient-in-the-west/) RosettaBooks > [“As we sincerely seek to understand and integrate these principles into our lives, I am convinced we will discover and rediscover the truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/as-we-sincerely-seek-to-understand-and-integrate-these-principles/) RosettaBooks > [“He was the master of being “proactive,” and much to our vexation while growing up, we were never allowed to make excuses or blame…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/he-was-the-master-of-being-proactive-and-much-to-our-vexation-while/) RosettaBooks > [“build inner character first—private victory before public victory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/build-inner-character-first-private-victory-before-public-victory/) RosettaBooks > [“you want to have a happy marriage, be the kind of person who generates positive energy and sidesteps negative energy rather than empowering it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/you-want-to-have-a-happy-marriage-be-the-kind-of-person-who-generates/) RosettaBooks > [“Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull—more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/habits-too-have-tremendous-gravity-pull-more-than-most-people-realize/) RosettaBooks > [“Everyone” might say finishing Harvard should be the most important task for a young Bill Gates. Instead, he aligned his efforts with his mission,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/everyone-might-say-finishing-harvard-should-be-the-most-important/) RosettaBooks > [“     Today we come across an individual who behaves like an automaton, who does not know or understand himself, and the only person that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/today-we-come-across-an-individual-who-behaves-like-an-automaton-who/) RosettaBooks > [“He also shared equity, so that when Microsoft won, Microsoft people would win as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/he-also-shared-equity-so-that-when-microsoft-won-microsoft-people/) RosettaBooks Explore all 23 RosettaBooks quotes ## More Gates quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [If Bill Gates left Microsoft we wouldn't allow Donald Trump to run it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-bill-gates-left-microsoft-we-wouldn-t-allow-donald-trump-to-run-it/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [I don't think generally speaking, there are a lot of innovators and inventors. Many of the designers take what exists already and update it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-hilfiger/i-don-t-think-generally-speaking-there-are-a-lot-of-innovators-and/) [Tommy Hilfiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-hilfiger/) > [There's nothing nice about Steve Jobs and there's nothing evil about Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-peddle/there-s-nothing-nice-about-steve-jobs-and-there-s-nothing-evil-about/) Chuck Peddle > [ Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster. (Or, sometimes known by\] Grove \[the head of Intel\] giveth and Gates \[the head of Microsoft\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklaus-wirth/software-gets-slower-faster-than-hardware-gets-faster-or-sometimes/) [Niklaus Wirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niklaus-wirth/) > [Hateful to me as are the gates of hell, Is he who, hiding one thing in his heart, Utters another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/hateful-to-me-as-are-the-gates-of-hell-is-he-who-hiding-one-thing-in/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Astrology is knocking at the gates of our universities: A Tübingen professor has switched over to astrology and a course on astrology was given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/astrology-is-knocking-at-the-gates-of-our-universities-a-t-bingen/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [The incorruptible things are all within the narrow gate. The peace of God which passed all understanding - the bright hope of good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-incorruptible-things-are-all-within-the-narrow-gate-the-peace-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's been said that Bill Gates has come up with something that'll be released in December that's gonna put a lid on counterfeiting. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/it-s-been-said-that-bill-gates-has-come-up-with-something-that-ll-be/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [Artists are the gate keepers of truth. We are civilization’s radical voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-robeson/artists-are-the-gate-keepers-of-truth-we-are-civilization-s-radical/) [Paul Robeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-robeson/) > [...Individualistic material progress and the desire to gain prestige by coming out on top have taken over from the sense of fellowship, compassion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/individualistic-material-progress-and-the-desire-to-gain-prestige-by/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [ The other thing we did as government is to open gates for the civilians to leave that \[ eastern part\] area \[in Aleppo\], and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-other-thing-we-did-as-government-is-to-open-gates-for-the/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [The golden gate to peace in life is the experience of bliss, and it is easy for everyone to acquire this great glory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/the-golden-gate-to-peace-in-life-is-the-experience-of-bliss-and-it-is/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [Suffering for truth's sake Is fortitude to highest victory, And to the faithful death the gate of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/suffering-for-truth-s-sake-is-fortitude-to-highest-victory-and-to-the/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) Browse all 1,062 Gates quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Thousands of people could’ve done what Bill Gates did at that moment, but they didn’t. 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