--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem with the Internet startup…" description: "\"The problem with the Internet startup craze isn't that too many people are starting companies; it's that too many people aren't sticking with it. That'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/steve-jobs-307_agony_the-problem-with-the-internet-startup-cr_3230683.jpg" --- # The problem with the Internet startup craze isn't that too… ![“The problem with the Internet startup craze isn't that too many people are starting companies; it's that too many people aren't sticking with it. That's somewhat understandable, because there are many moments that are filled with despair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things…” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/steve-jobs-307_agony_the-problem-with-the-internet-startup-cr_3230683.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/steve-jobs-307_agony_the-problem-with-the-internet-startup-cr_3230683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/steve-jobs-307_agony_the-problem-with-the-internet-startup-cr_3230683.jpg) > “The problem with the Internet startup craze isn't that too many people are starting companies; it's that too many people aren't sticking with it. That's somewhat understandable, because there are many moments that are filled with despair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things and deal with very difficult situations. That's when you find out who you are and what your values are.” [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many startups fail not because of too many founders, but because founders quit when faced with hardship, revealing their character and values. **In simple terms:** Startups fail when founders quit during tough times, exposing true values. Key Takeaway Persist through hardship to discover purpose. Themes perseverance entrepreneurship values resilience leadership Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - founder burnout - layoffs - pivot decisions - crisis management - team building Key Concepts Growth mindset mission identity ethical decision-making Questions to Reflect On - What core values guide you in crises? - How can you support your team during hardship? A Different Perspective Success also depends on market fit and execution, not just perseverance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agony/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Companies People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies-people-251719/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Craze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craze/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult situations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-situations/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Filled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filled/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Startup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-startup-3930217/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Starting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting/) [Starting Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-companies-3190654/) [Startup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup/) [Startup Craze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup-craze-4438089/) [Too many people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-many-people/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Who you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-you-are/) ## Related quotes > [The problem with the Internet startup craze isn’t that too many people are starting companies; it’s that too many people aren’t sticking with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-problem-with-the-internet-startup-craze-isn-t-that-too-many-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“The problem with the Internet startup craze isn’t that too many people are starting companies; it’s that too many people aren’t sticking with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-problem-with-the-internet-startup-craze-isn-t-that-too-many/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Ten Internets ago, when PayPal was started, it was all these tools that no one had built yet to bring commerce to the Internet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/ten-internets-ago-when-paypal-was-started-it-was-all-these-tools-that/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [I would never be able to work on a photo-sharing app or 'Internet startup XYZ.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyan-slat/i-would-never-be-able-to-work-on-a-photo-sharing-app-or-internet/) [Boyan Slat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyan-slat/) > [I think the effect of having a net worth tax would take people that are starting companies and say, I'm not going to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-rubin/i-think-the-effect-of-having-a-net-worth-tax-would-take-people-that/) [Michael G. Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-rubin/) > [I joined YC to recover from the brain damage of starting companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kan/i-joined-yc-to-recover-from-the-brain-damage-of-starting-companies/) [Justin Kan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kan/) > [People are starting companies at young ages. They fail fast, learn a lot, and keep going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/people-are-starting-companies-at-young-ages-they-fail-fast-learn-a/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [“It is not tough to fight against giant companies whose people don't talk to each other. Just ace team play.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/it-is-not-tough-to-fight-against-giant-companies-whose-people-don-t/) [Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/) > [Average companies give their people something to work on. The most innovative organizations give their people something to work toward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/average-companies-give-their-people-something-to-work-on-the-most/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Some of the power has shifted from companies to people. Using social media tools (blogs, wikis, tagging, etc.) more individuals are creating semi-spontaneous 'groundswells'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlene-li/some-of-the-power-has-shifted-from-companies-to-people-using-social/) [Charlene Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlene-li/) > [In most companies people make a specific contribution to the company in their function. But it is not expressed in terms of profit, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ghosn/in-most-companies-people-make-a-specific-contribution-to-the-company/) [Carlos Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ghosn/) > [Most startup companies have two people, and they figure out creative ways to swarm problems. They move faster and have more impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/most-startup-companies-have-two-people-and-they-figure-out-creative/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [“I had lunch with the staff of one of my old companies once. They were all people with whom I had worked except one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-puddicombe/i-had-lunch-with-the-staff-of-one-of-my-old-companies-once-they-were/) [Ken Puddicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-puddicombe/) > [I definitely think what drives technology companies is the people; because in a technology company it's always about what are you going to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-mayer/i-definitely-think-what-drives-technology-companies-is-the-people/) [Marissa Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-mayer/) > [Too often, founders make decisions before determining whether they are the right thing to do. These decisions often create chaos in their companies where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/too-often-founders-make-decisions-before-determining-whether-they-are/) [Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/) ## More by Steve Jobs > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [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/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-not-about-saying-yes-to-everything-it-s-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“To YoYo Ma: "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/to-yoyo-ma-you-playing-is-the-best-argument-i-ve-ever-heard-for-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-great-artists-and-great-engineers-are-similar-in-that-they/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-rare-that-you-see-an-artist-in-his-30s-or-40s-able-to-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [We're going to be able to ask our computers to monitor things for us, and when certain conditions happen, are triggered, the computers will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-re-going-to-be-able-to-ask-our-computers-to-monitor-things-for-us/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More Agony quotes > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“aaron would not come out aaron entered into agony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/aaron-would-not-come-out-aaron-entered-into-agony/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [ “\[W\]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves-to-the-discovery-that-some-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [As we look upon that agony and those tearful prayers, let us not only look with thankfulness; but let that kneeling Saviour teach us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/as-we-look-upon-that-agony-and-those-tearful-prayers-let-us-not-only/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Love masters agony; the soul that seemed Forsaken feels her present God again And in her Father's arms Contented dies away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keble/love-masters-agony-the-soul-that-seemed-forsaken-feels-her-present/) [John Keble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keble/) > [I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-have-seen-war-on-land-and-sea-i-have-seen-blood/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [“Anger was a reliable defense, but one that allowed no chance of final victory. Anger was a medicine but never a cure, briefly numbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/anger-was-a-reliable-defense-but-one-that-allowed-no-chance-of-final/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [The cure is in the house, not brought by other hands from distant places, but by its own, in agony and blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/the-cure-is-in-the-house-not-brought-by-other-hands-from-distant/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [The young man shivered. He rolled the stock themes of fantasy over in his mind: cars and stockbrokers and commuters, housewives and police, agony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-young-man-shivered-he-rolled-the-stock-themes-of-fantasy-over-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Being ill like this combines shock - this time I will die - with a pain and agony that are unfamiliar, that wrench me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-brodkey/being-ill-like-this-combines-shock-this-time-i-will-die-with-a-pain/) [Harold Brodkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-brodkey/) > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [There’s been a problem, a problem eating away at me from the inside out. I’ve become weak, I’ve shown human compassion, and it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/there-s-been-a-problem-a-problem-eating-away-at-me-from-the-inside/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [Pay special attention to their agony so I might take some pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/pay-special-attention-to-their-agony-so-i-might-take-some-pleasure/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Die, enemies of Ra!" Sekhemet yelled. "Perish in agony!" "She's almost as annoying as you," I told Horus. "Impossible," Horus said. "No one bests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/die-enemies-of-ra-sekhemet-yelled-perish-in-agony-she-s-almost-as/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) [Browse all 813 Agony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agony/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem with the Internet startup craze isn't that too many people are starting companies; it's that too many people aren't sticking with it. That's somewhat understandable, because there are many moments that are filled with despair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things and deal with very difficult situations. 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