--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thank heaven for startups; without them…" description: "\"Thank heaven for startups; without them we'd never have any advances.\" — Seymour Cray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/seymour-cray-35931_entrepreneurship_thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-w_1126717.png" --- # Thank heaven for startups; without them we'd never have… ![“Thank heaven for startups; without them we'd never have any advances.” quote by Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/seymour-cray-35931_entrepreneurship_thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-w_1126717.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/seymour-cray-35931_entrepreneurship_thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-w_1126717.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/seymour-cray-35931_entrepreneurship_thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-w_1126717.png) > “Thank heaven for startups; without them we'd never have any advances.” [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Startups drive technological breakthroughs that large firms often cannot achieve alone. **In simple terms:** Startups spark innovation. Key Takeaway Support entrepreneurial ventures. Themes innovation entrepreneurship progress Mood optimistic analytical Type economic technological When to use this quote - venture capital - policy making - education - R&D labs Key Concepts disruptive technology economic growth Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms can reduce startup failure? - How do startups influence societal change? A Different Perspective Startups can fail, wasting resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Startups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startups/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [I think co-working spaces, incubators, and accelerators outside of the Bay Area do a lot to foster a local startup scene - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-seibel/i-think-co-working-spaces-incubators-and-accelerators-outside-of-the/) [Michael Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-seibel/) > [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/) > [Learning is the essential unit of progress for startups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ries/learning-is-the-essential-unit-of-progress-for-startups/) [Eric Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ries/) > [“When it's about your life, it's time to be selfish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-artner/when-it-s-about-your-life-it-s-time-to-be-selfish/) [Dee Dee Artner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-artner/) > [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/) > [“Chase the needs, and you are halfway to entrepreneurship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagadish-varadharajan/chase-the-needs-and-you-are-halfway-to-entrepreneurship/) Jagadish Varadharajan > [It's hard to tell with these Internet startups if they're really interested in building companies or if they're just interested in the money. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-hard-to-tell-with-these-internet-startups-if-they-re-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/zen-is-not-some-fancy-special-art-of-living-our-teaching-is-just-to/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [My attitude is there are at least hundreds of interesting startups that are going to get going in every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/my-attitude-is-there-are-at-least-hundreds-of-interesting-startups/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [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/) > [Cool innovation might happen in startups, but they often lack the resources or the deep expertise in the problems they want to address.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/cool-innovation-might-happen-in-startups-but-they-often-lack-the/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [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/) > [“Amidst all the hype and hoopla around this business, I wanted to emphasize the challenge—it is seductive but the failure rate is very high.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahendra-ramsinghani/amidst-all-the-hype-and-hoopla-around-this-business-i-wanted-to/) Mahendra Ramsinghani > [Startups Are Hard. So Work More, Cry Less, And Quit All The Whining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arrington/startups-are-hard-so-work-more-cry-less-and-quit-all-the-whining/) [Michael Arrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arrington/) ## More by Seymour Cray > [If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use? Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/if-you-were-plowing-a-field-which-would-you-rather-use-two-strong/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [One of my guiding principles is don't do anything that other people are doing. Always do something a little different if you can. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/one-of-my-guiding-principles-is-don-t-do-anything-that-other-people/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [Farmers buy a lot of computers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/farmers-buy-a-lot-of-computers/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [I talk to myself through the computer. I ask myself questions, leave things to be looked at again, things that you would do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/i-talk-to-myself-through-the-computer-i-ask-myself-questions-leave/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [Parity is for farmers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/parity-is-for-farmers/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [#3 pencils and quadrille pads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/3-pencils-and-quadrille-pads/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [I just bought a Mac to help me design the next Cray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/i-just-bought-a-mac-to-help-me-design-the-next-cray/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [I'm supposed to be a scientific person but I use intuition more than logic in making basic decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/i-m-supposed-to-be-a-scientific-person-but-i-use-intuition-more-than/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [The trouble with programmers is that you can never tell what a programmer is doing until it's too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/the-trouble-with-programmers-is-that-you-can-never-tell-what-a/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [Anyone can build a fast CPU. The trick is to build a fast system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/anyone-can-build-a-fast-cpu-the-trick-is-to-build-a-fast-system/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [#3 pencils and quadrille pads.(when asked what CAD tools he used to design the Cray I supercomputer )](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/3-pencils-and-quadrille-pads-when-asked-what-cad-tools-he-used-to/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [Interesting - I use a Mac to help me design the next Cray.(when he was told that Apple Inc. had recently bought a Cray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/interesting-i-use-a-mac-to-help-me-design-the-next-cray-when-he-was/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) [Explore all 13 Seymour Cray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) ## More Entrepreneurship quotes > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“So Mack got kind of a late start in the startup world—he founded TakeOff at the ripe old age of twenty-five”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doree-shafrir/so-mack-got-kind-of-a-late-start-in-the-startup-world-he-founded/) [Doree Shafrir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doree-shafrir/) > [“I would have been trying to pitch a concept about my community to someone that most likely was not a part of that community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-tyler/i-would-have-been-trying-to-pitch-a-concept-about-my-community-to/) Lamar Tyler > [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/) > [Stalking is an underrated startup strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rottenberg/stalking-is-an-underrated-startup-strategy/) [Linda Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rottenberg/) > [What is entrepreneurship, after all? Bigness is not the issue. Poor people are the ones who take challenges every day. The guy who sells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/what-is-entrepreneurship-after-all-bigness-is-not-the-issue-poor/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [“I am a Software engineer by profession, Photographer by passion and An entrepreneur by Thinking ...! CEO, Founder of www.bibliofreaks.com - The online store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ganesh/i-am-a-software-engineer-by-profession-photographer-by-passion-and-an/) Ganesh > [“Every founder has a plan until it’s time to launch. I launch first and plan later, we’re not the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-bekoe/every-founder-has-a-plan-until-it-s-time-to-launch-i-launch-first-and/) [Marion Bekoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-bekoe/) > [“A responsible woman doesn’t see opportunities and needs and look the other way pretending not to see them rather she gets to work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e/a-responsible-woman-doesn-t-see-opportunities-and-needs-and-look-the/) [Agu Jaachynma N.E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agu-jaachynma-n-e/) > [Friends don't always make the best of business partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-campbell/friends-don-t-always-make-the-best-of-business-partners/) Chris Campbell > [The big thing was realizing for myself that I had tied my ego to the outcomes and to startups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kan/the-big-thing-was-realizing-for-myself-that-i-had-tied-my-ego-to-the/) [Justin Kan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kan/) > [“Personally, I believe in tools that close the gap between professionals and beginners, understanding that — push comes to shove — this is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-busche/personally-i-believe-in-tools-that-close-the-gap-between/) [Laura Busche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-busche/) > [Entrepreneurship is the very back bone of our country and what makes us great - we are a nation of founders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/entrepreneurship-is-the-very-back-bone-of-our-country-and-what-makes/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [We must never lose sight of the fact that we must take part in the development, not only of ourselves but of all humanity...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/we-must-never-lose-sight-of-the-fact-that-we-must-take-part-in-the/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) [Browse all 1,735 Entrepreneurship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thank heaven for startups; without them we'd never have any advances.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seymour Cray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-we-d-never-have-any-advances/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Entrepreneurship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-we-d-never-have-any-advances/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/seymour-cray-35931_entrepreneurship_thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-w_1126717.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/seymour-cray-35931_entrepreneurship_thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-w_1126717.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/seymour-cray-35931_entrepreneurship_thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-w_1126717.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thank heaven for startups; without them we'd never have any advances.” — Seymour Cray", "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": "Seymour Cray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Thank heaven for startups; without them...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-we-d-never-have-any-advances/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/thank-heaven-for-startups-without-them-we-d-never-have-any-advances/#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 } } ] } ```