---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So it's worth some real up front time to…"
description: "\"So it's worth some real up front time to think through the long term value and the defensibility of the business.\" — Sam Altman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-altman-1494_business_so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to_2757161.png"
---

#  So it's worth some real up front time to think through the…

![“So it's worth some real up front time to think through the long term value and the defensibility of the business.” quote by Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-altman-1494_business_so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to_2757161.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-altman-1494_business_so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to_2757161.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-altman-1494_business_so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to_2757161.png)

> “So it's worth some real up front time to think through the long term value and the defensibility of the business.”

[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.

Investing time upfront to evaluate long‑term value and defensibility strengthens a business’s future prospects.

**In simple terms:** Think ahead to ensure business value and security.

Key Takeaway

Plan for long‑term business defensibility.

Themes

business strategy long‑term planning defensibility

Mood

analytical strategic

Type

business advisory

When to use this quote

- startup founding
- product development
- market analysis
- investment decisions

Key Concepts

risk assessment value creation

Questions to Reflect On

- What metrics guide your long‑term planning?
- How do you test defensibility?

A Different Perspective

Short‑term pressures may limit thorough analysis.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time to think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-to-think/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/)

## Related quotes

> [If you think about the long term then you can really make good life decisions that you won’t regret later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-think-about-the-long-term-then-you-can-really-make-good-life/)

[Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/)

> [Remember to dream big, think long-term, underachieve on a daily basis, and take baby steps. That is the key to long-term success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/remember-to-dream-big-think-long-term-underachieve-on-a-daily-basis/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [I'm always a big-picture kind of gal. I always think in the long term, and I like to see things through from beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-fox/i-m-always-a-big-picture-kind-of-gal-i-always-think-in-the-long-term/)

[Julia Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-fox/)

> [As a player I think you naturally think long term and think what is the schedule in the next year or so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-root/as-a-player-i-think-you-naturally-think-long-term-and-think-what-is/)

[Joe Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-root/)

> [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/)

> [When I was young, I thought I wouldn't be a good mother. Now I think I would be, but I'm too long in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-davidson/when-i-was-young-i-thought-i-wouldn-t-be-a-good-mother-now-i-think-i/)

[Robyn Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-davidson/)

> [It's not easy to sustain a long career, and sometimes I don't even think about how long I've been doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/it-s-not-easy-to-sustain-a-long-career-and-sometimes-i-don-t-even/)

[Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/)

> [When it's over it should be over. When a man is no longer at risk, he loses touch. I think these fellows who think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-j-cordiner/when-it-s-over-it-should-be-over-when-a-man-is-no-longer-at-risk-he/)

Ralph J. Cordiner

> [The older I get, the more I have to think long and hard about what I need to say and why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abi-morgan/the-older-i-get-the-more-i-have-to-think-long-and-hard-about-what-i/)

[Abi Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abi-morgan/)

> [I don't care what you think as long as it's about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fall-out-boy/i-don-t-care-what-you-think-as-long-as-it-s-about-me/)

[Fall Out Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fall-out-boy/)

> [Its the sort of thing in your blood. You don't think about the long hours or the money, you do it because you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-the-sort-of-thing-in-your-blood-you-don-t-think-about-the-long/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think, No. 1, I still have a long way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quinn/i-think-no-1-i-still-have-a-long-way-to-go/)

[Dan Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quinn/)

> [I think it's all about the long haul. Anything I can do to extend my game is what I'm going to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-herbert/i-think-it-s-all-about-the-long-haul-anything-i-can-do-to-extend-my/)

[Justin Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-herbert/)

> [To think too long about doing a thing, often becomes its undoing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/to-think-too-long-about-doing-a-thing-often-becomes-its-undoing/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [“When it comes to the small matters in life one should think long and hard, but when it comes to the big ones -whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/when-it-comes-to-the-small-matters-in-life-one-should-think-long-and/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

## 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 Business 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/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "So it's worth some real up front time to think through the long term value and the defensibility of the business.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Altman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to-think-through-the-long-term/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to-think-through-the-long-term/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-altman-1494_business_so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to_2757161.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-altman-1494_business_so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to_2757161.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-altman-1494_business_so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to_2757161.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“So it's worth some real up front time to think through the long term value and the defensibility of the…” — 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": "So it's worth some real up...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to-think-through-the-long-term/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/so-it-s-worth-some-real-up-front-time-to-think-through-the-long-term/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
