--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it…" description: "\"The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.\" — Steve Jobs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/steve-jobs-307_dell_the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-w_38713.jpg" --- # The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it. ![“The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/steve-jobs-307_dell_the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-w_38713.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/steve-jobs-307_dell_the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-w_38713.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/steve-jobs-307_dell_the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-w_38713.jpg) > “The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.” [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. A lament that a product or market opportunity slipped away, emphasizing missed potential rather than the competitor's success. **In simple terms:** Regret over a lost opportunity. Key Takeaway Focus on internal failures, not external winners. Themes competition missed opportunity regret focus learning Mood reflective determined Type statement observation When to use this quote - post‑mortem analysis - team debrief - strategic review Key Concepts product strategy market dynamics Practical Applications - improve future product launches - refine competitive intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What internal factors contributed to the loss? - How can we turn this regret into actionable improvement? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dell/) [Dell Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dell-didn-449255/) [Funny business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-business/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Tragedy Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy-dell-449254/) [Win Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-lost-431367/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [Nobody has tried to swallow us since I've been here. I think they are afraid how we would taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/nobody-has-tried-to-swallow-us-since-i-ve-been-here-i-think-they-are/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The world doesn't need another Dell or Compaq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-world-doesn-t-need-another-dell-or-compaq/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The roots of apple were to build computers for people, not for corporations. The world doesn't need another dell or compaq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-roots-of-apple-were-to-build-computers-for-people-not-for/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [There's no other company that could make a MacBook Air and the reason is that not only do we control the hardware, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/there-s-no-other-company-that-could-make-a-macbook-air-and-the-reason/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Team, it turned out that Michael Dell wasn't perfect at predicting the future. Based on today's stock market close, Apple is worth more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/team-it-turned-out-that-michael-dell-wasn-t-perfect-at-predicting-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I think to win you have to have lost before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodri/i-think-to-win-you-have-to-have-lost-before/) [Rodri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodri/) > [He who does not hope to win has already lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-does-not-hope-to-win-has-already-lost/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everybody said you'd make it big some day, and I guess that we were only in the way. But someday I'm sure you're gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-seals/everybody-said-you-d-make-it-big-some-day-and-i-guess-that-we-were/) [Dan Seals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-seals/) > [A failed lover is like a that losergambler who wants to win everything back he lost by playing only one stake though he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/a-failed-lover-is-like-a-that-losergambler-who-wants-to-win/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“He who does not hop to win has already lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-does-not-hop-to-win-has-already-lost/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I remember as a kid watching one of the Olympic games, and I was cheering for a big track athlete. He was the favorite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/i-remember-as-a-kid-watching-one-of-the-olympic-games-and-i-was/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [Since I was a child, I've always been annoyed if I didn't win. If I lost a match, I would be annoyed, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-sanchez/since-i-was-a-child-i-ve-always-been-annoyed-if-i-didn-t-win-if-i/) [Alexis Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-sanchez/) > [Love can win a lost battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonam-arora-luthra/love-can-win-a-lost-battle/) [Sonam Arora Luthra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonam-arora-luthra/) > [It is the tragic story of the cultural crusader in a mass society that he cannot win, but that we would be lost without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lazarsfeld/it-is-the-tragic-story-of-the-cultural-crusader-in-a-mass-society/) [Paul Lazarsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lazarsfeld/) > [“Can you not see that we still might win? We lost a battle, not a war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-essex/can-you-not-see-that-we-still-might-win-we-lost-a-battle-not-a-war/) [Karen Essex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-essex/) ## 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/) > [“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/) > [Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/deciding-what-not-to-do-is-as-important-as-deciding-what-to-do/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More Dell quotes > [“Sometimes it's better not to ask-or to listen-when tell you something can't be done. I didn't ask for permission or approval. I just went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dell/sometimes-it-s-better-not-to-ask-or-to-listen-when-tell-you-something/) [Michael Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dell/) > [I dropped my laptop off a boat. It's A dell...rolling in the deep :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daley/i-dropped-my-laptop-off-a-boat-it-s-a-dell-rolling-in-the-deep/) [Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daley/) > [In a brilliant fusion of fact and fiction, Jayne Anne Phillips has written the novel of the year. It's the story of a serial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-a-brilliant-fusion-of-fact-and-fiction-jayne-anne-phillips-has/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I'd like to see Apple and Dell factories be brought to the inner cities; in every project in America, there's some factory there, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/i-d-like-to-see-apple-and-dell-factories-be-brought-to-the-inner/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Like a glowworm golden, in a dell of dew, Scattering unbeholden its aerial blue Among the flowers and grass which screen it from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/like-a-glowworm-golden-in-a-dell-of-dew-scattering-unbeholden-its/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [The foxglove, with it's stately bells Of purple, shall adorn thy dells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-macbeth-moir/the-foxglove-with-it-s-stately-bells-of-purple-shall-adorn-thy-dells/) [David Macbeth Moir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-macbeth-moir/) > [It's all a farce, - these tales they tell About the breezes sighing, And moans astir o'er field and dell, Because the year is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laurence-dunbar/it-s-all-a-farce-these-tales-they-tell-about-the-breezes-sighing-and/) [Paul Laurence Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laurence-dunbar/) > [The customer reaction to Dell going private has been a lot more positive than I would have ever imagined. Customers see it as -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dell/the-customer-reaction-to-dell-going-private-has-been-a-lot-more/) [Michael Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dell/) > [What airs outblown from ferny dells And clover-bloom and sweet brier smells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/what-airs-outblown-from-ferny-dells-and-clover-bloom-and-sweet-brier/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [If Dell's going to be a fast follower, then we'll continue to innovate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-waitt/if-dell-s-going-to-be-a-fast-follower-then-we-ll-continue-to-innovate/) [Ted Waitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-waitt/) > [In the enterprise, the trend is towards smaller, more powerful standardized systems where Dell is uniquely positioned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-b-rollins/in-the-enterprise-the-trend-is-towards-smaller-more-powerful/) [Kevin B. Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-b-rollins/) > [What do you call a computer that can sing? A dell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-call-a-computer-that-can-sing-a-dell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I reject the word 'script' entirely-at any rate in the usual sense. I prefer the old usage-usually scenario-which it had in the Commedia dell'Arte,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-rivette/i-reject-the-word-script-entirely-at-any-rate-in-the-usual-sense-i/) [Jacques Rivette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-rivette/) > [Roen snorted. "You two have the strangest relationship in the Dells." Archer smiled slightly. "She won't consent to make it a marriage." "I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/roen-snorted-you-two-have-the-strangest-relationship-in-the-dells/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [“Let me Guess-you lost the coin toss with Dell, which left you stuck with me. Only you don't know how to tell me this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/let-me-guess-you-lost-the-coin-toss-with-dell-which-left-you-stuck/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) [Browse all 67 Dell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dell/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dell" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/steve-jobs-307_dell_the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-w_38713.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/steve-jobs-307_dell_the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-w_38713.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/steve-jobs-307_dell_the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-w_38713.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.” — Steve Jobs", "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": "Steve Jobs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The tragedy is that Dell didn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/#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 } } ] } ```