--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can just learn to think about the…" description: "\"If you can just learn to think about the market first, you will have a big leg up on most people starting startups.\" — Sam Altman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/sam-altman-1494_bigs_if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the_2031541.png" --- # If you can just learn to think about the market first, you… ![“If you can just learn to think about the market first, you will have a big leg up on most people starting startups.” quote by Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/sam-altman-1494_bigs_if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the_2031541.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/sam-altman-1494_bigs_if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the_2031541.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/sam-altman-1494_bigs_if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the_2031541.png) > “If you can just learn to think about the market first, you will have a big leg up on most people starting startups.” [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritizing market understanding gives startup founders a competitive edge. **In simple terms:** Know the market first. Key Takeaway Study market before building. Themes entrepreneurship strategy market‑focus Mood analytical focused Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - pitch decks - investor meetings - product development - customer research Key Concepts product‑market fit first‑mover advantage Questions to Reflect On - What market signals will you track? - How will you validate assumptions quickly? A Different Perspective Neglecting execution can still cause failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Startups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startups/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [When it comes to starting startups, in many ways, it's easier to start a hard startup than an easy startup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/when-it-comes-to-starting-startups-in-many-ways-it-s-easier-to-start/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One thing I tell startups all the time is that the best way to grow is to make their product better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-thing-i-tell-startups-all-the-time-is-that-the-best-way-to-grow/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [The thing that kills startups at some level, is the founders giving up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-thing-that-kills-startups-at-some-level-is-the-founders-giving-up/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Startups are not the best choice for work-life balance, and that's sort of just the sad reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-not-the-best-choice-for-work-life-balance-and-that-s/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Startups are very hard no matter what you do; you may as well go after a big opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-very-hard-no-matter-what-you-do-you-may-as-well-go-after/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [The startups that do well are the ones that are working all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-startups-that-do-well-are-the-ones-that-are-working-all-the-time/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [You also really want to take the time to think about how the market is going to evolve.You need a market that's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-also-really-want-to-take-the-time-to-think-about-how-the-market/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Most investors are obsessed with the market size today and they don't think about how the market is going to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/most-investors-are-obsessed-with-the-market-size-today-and-they-don-t/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [New York is really the cheapest ad market. When I go on TV, I'm hitting a country. The market is as big as some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-leigh/new-york-is-really-the-cheapest-ad-market-when-i-go-on-tv-i-m-hitting/) [Mitch Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-leigh/) > [We don't market products narrowly. We market big stories about the industry, things that matter to a lot of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/we-don-t-market-products-narrowly-we-market-big-stories-about-the/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [If you think your initial market might be too big, it almost certainly is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-you-think-your-initial-market-might-be-too-big-it-almost-certainly/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [I get a lot of the time, 'We don't know how to market you,' or, 'You're too big.' Or, 'We have one of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grizz-chapman/i-get-a-lot-of-the-time-we-don-t-know-how-to-market-you-or-you-re-too/) [Grizz Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grizz-chapman/) > [I like the PC market. It's a big market, but it's a very volatile market as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-su/i-like-the-pc-market-it-s-a-big-market-but-it-s-a-very-volatile/) [Lisa Su](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-su/) > [I always thought that first jump from a small market should be as big as possible. But never in my wildest dreams did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-eisen/i-always-thought-that-first-jump-from-a-small-market-should-be-as-big/) [Rich Eisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-eisen/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) ## More by Sam Altman > [The best people know that they should join a rocketship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-best-people-know-that-they-should-join-a-rocketship/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [You really want to know your cofounders for a while, ideally years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-really-want-to-know-your-cofounders-for-a-while-ideally-years/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Employees will only add more value over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/employees-will-only-add-more-value-over-time/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One thing I tell startups all the time is that the best way to grow is to make their product better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-thing-i-tell-startups-all-the-time-is-that-the-best-way-to-grow/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [A winning team feels good and keeps winning. A team that hasn't won in a while gets demotivated and keeps losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/a-winning-team-feels-good-and-keeps-winning-a-team-that-hasn-t-won-in/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [You're either not hiring at all or it's probably your single biggest block of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-re-either-not-hiring-at-all-or-it-s-probably-your-single-biggest/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [The thing that kills startups at some level, is the founders giving up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-thing-that-kills-startups-at-some-level-is-the-founders-giving-up/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Execution gets divided into two key questions: 1) can you figure out what to do and 2) can you get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/execution-gets-divided-into-two-key-questions-1-can-you-figure-out/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [If you want something in a deal, just ask for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-want-something-in-a-deal-just-ask-for-it/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Most things are not as risky as they seem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/most-things-are-not-as-risky-as-they-seem/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [I prefer to invest in a company that's going after a small but rapidly growing market than a big but slow growing one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/i-prefer-to-invest-in-a-company-that-s-going-after-a-small-but/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Startups are not the best choice for work-life balance, and that's sort of just the sad reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-not-the-best-choice-for-work-life-balance-and-that-s/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One of the biggest advantages that start ups have is execution speed and you have to have this relentless operating rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-of-the-biggest-advantages-that-start-ups-have-is-execution-speed/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One of the keys to focus, and why I said cofounders that aren't friends really struggle, is that you can't be focused without good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-of-the-keys-to-focus-and-why-i-said-cofounders-that-aren-t/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Startups are very hard no matter what you do; you may as well go after a big opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-very-hard-no-matter-what-you-do-you-may-as-well-go-after/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Explore all 235 Sam Altman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) ## More Bigs 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/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [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/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can just learn to think about the market first, you will have a big leg up on most people starting startups.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Altman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the-market-first-you-will-have-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the-market-first-you-will-have-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/sam-altman-1494_bigs_if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the_2031541.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/sam-altman-1494_bigs_if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the_2031541.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/sam-altman-1494_bigs_if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the_2031541.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can just learn to think about the market first, you will have a big leg up on most people starting…” — Sam Altman", "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": "Sam Altman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can just learn to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the-market-first-you-will-have-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the-market-first-you-will-have-a/#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 } } ] } ```