--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're in a start-up, the first ten…" description: "\"When you're in a start-up, the first ten people will determine whether the company succeeds or not. Each is 10 percent of the company. So why wouldn't ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/steve-jobs-307_big-companies_when-you-re-in-a-start-up-the-first-ten_492755.jpg" --- # When you're in a start-up, the first ten people will… ![“When you're in a start-up, the first ten people will determine whether the company succeeds or not. Each is 10 percent of the company. So why wouldn't you take as much time as necessary to find all the A players? If three were not so great, why would you want a company where 30 percent of your…” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/steve-jobs-307_big-companies_when-you-re-in-a-start-up-the-first-ten_492755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/steve-jobs-307_big-companies_when-you-re-in-a-start-up-the-first-ten_492755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/steve-jobs-307_big-companies_when-you-re-in-a-start-up-the-first-ten_492755.jpg) > “When you're in a start-up, the first ten people will determine whether the company succeeds or not. Each is 10 percent of the company. So why wouldn't you take as much time as necessary to find all the A players? If three were not so great, why would you want a company where 30 percent of your people are not so great? A small company depends on great people much more than a big company does.” [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. Early hires have outsized impact on a startup’s success; ensuring they are top talent is crucial. **In simple terms:** First hires matter a lot. Key Takeaway Prioritize hiring A‑players early. Themes leadership talent startups Mood determined optimistic Type advice motivational When to use this quote - founder meetings - venture capital pitches - team building workshops - performance reviews Key Concepts human capital team dynamics risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance speed of hiring with quality? - What criteria define an A‑player for your mission? A Different Perspective Finding perfect A‑players may be unrealistic; compromise may be needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Company Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company-depends-1130605/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Determine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determine/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Great people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-people/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Necessary Players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary-players-4212237/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Percent Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent-company-4212236/) [Percent People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent-people/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Small Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-company-884672/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Ten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Evolving our culture to operate and think differently is no small task. We are challenging our employees to be the best of both small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/evolving-our-culture-to-operate-and-think-differently-is-no-small/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [Now here's the arrangement, Eduardo is CFO and owns thirty percent of the company. Dustin is Vice President and head of programming and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/now-here-s-the-arrangement-eduardo-is-cfo-and-owns-thirty-percent-of/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [When I read about young designers selling 51 percent of their company to someone else, I cringe. I want to say, 'Don't do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ford/when-i-read-about-young-designers-selling-51-percent-of-their-company/) [Tom Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ford/) > [Every public company depends to some extent on the trust of its investors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/every-public-company-depends-to-some-extent-on-the-trust-of-its/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [Every employee in a company depends on the C.E.O. to make fast, high-quality decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/every-employee-in-a-company-depends-on-the-c-e-o-to-make-fast-high/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [If the company depends entirely on you - your creativity, ingenuity, inspiration, salesmanship or charisma - nobody will want to buy it. The risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/if-the-company-depends-entirely-on-you-your-creativity-ingenuity/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [Many brands have lost their way in the process of evolving from a small company to a much bigger corporation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-millman/many-brands-have-lost-their-way-in-the-process-of-evolving-from-a/) [Debbie Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-millman/) > [We target people who understand that relationships are the lifeline of a small company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rose/we-target-people-who-understand-that-relationships-are-the-lifeline/) [David Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rose/) > [That said, there is a tendency to help the large industrial conglomerate more quickly than the small company you have never heard of. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/that-said-there-is-a-tendency-to-help-the-large-industrial/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [It was really a very small company when I started and it changed very rapidly during those first periods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kilby/it-was-really-a-very-small-company-when-i-started-and-it-changed-very/) [Jack Kilby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kilby/) > [In just a few years, I have turned my small company into a multi-million dollar makeup empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/in-just-a-few-years-i-have-turned-my-small-company-into-a-multi/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [I actually worked for a small company in Ohio that sort of farmed out work from Disney and Dreamworks, so I really only ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-scanlon/i-actually-worked-for-a-small-company-in-ohio-that-sort-of-farmed-out/) [Dan Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-scanlon/) > [However small a company, its founders should try to expand people's opportunities and choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/however-small-a-company-its-founders-should-try-to-expand-people-s/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I think my mother was like a small company which, because things are not ship-shape, keeps two sets of books, one for the auditors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lindsay-hogg/i-think-my-mother-was-like-a-small-company-which-because-things-are/) [Michael Lindsay-Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lindsay-hogg/) > [I believe quite simply that the small company of the future will be as much a research organization as it is a manufacturing company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/i-believe-quite-simply-that-the-small-company-of-the-future-will-be/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) ## 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 Big companies quotes > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [In the commercial world, big companies mostly die within a few decades because they cannot maintain an internal system to keep them aligned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-the-commercial-world-big-companies-mostly-die-within-a-few-decades/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Whatever vocation you decide on, track down the best people in the world at doing it and surround yourself with them. Aim high and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/whatever-vocation-you-decide-on-track-down-the-best-people-in-the/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [I started noticing a lot of big companies are bored with ads; they feel sort of lost in the advertising world. They're not into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-started-noticing-a-lot-of-big-companies-are-bored-with-ads-they/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [Be creative. Innovate consistently on the little things that the big companies ignore. Little things often make big differences in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/be-creative-innovate-consistently-on-the-little-things-that-the-big/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I don't think you're going to have one bank. Big companies aren't going to give us all their business. So they can pick and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/i-don-t-think-you-re-going-to-have-one-bank-big-companies-aren-t/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [In the increasingly digital world, data is a valuable currency, yet as consumers, we control and own little of it. As consumers, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mougayar/in-the-increasingly-digital-world-data-is-a-valuable-currency-yet-as/) [William Mougayar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mougayar/) > [I never imagined I'd be working with government, or military or politicians or big companies. None of this stuff I'm doing was on any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/i-never-imagined-i-d-be-working-with-government-or-military-or/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [The shining star in the world is Shanghai. That's what CEOs from big companies say - 'if I want mathematical analytical work done, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/the-shining-star-in-the-world-is-shanghai-that-s-what-ceos-from-big/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [They have a policy in China for their big companies called "Go abroad." It's a rational thing for both the company and the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/they-have-a-policy-in-china-for-their-big-companies-called-go-abroad/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [I hear my own daughters talking about big companies polluting the environment, and then I realise they are talking about companies of which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indra-nooyi/i-hear-my-own-daughters-talking-about-big-companies-polluting-the/) [Indra Nooyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indra-nooyi/) > [You need to ask yourself, ‘Where do you want to work: startups, mid-size or large companies?’ If you find yourself debating the ‘startup versus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-blank/you-need-to-ask-yourself-where-do-you-want-to-work-startups-mid-size/) [Steve Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-blank/) > [I suspect there's a lot of validity to the premise that big companies aren't going to attract entrepreneurial talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-williams/i-suspect-there-s-a-lot-of-validity-to-the-premise-that-big-companies/) [Evan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-williams/) > [“If you’re struggling to get into big companies, you probably have a weak value proposition. Pure and simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-konrath/if-you-re-struggling-to-get-into-big-companies-you-probably-have-a/) [Jill Konrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-konrath/) > [Before I started my company in 1998, I worked for big companies traveling a lot and saw firsthand how much waste there was. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-cornejo/before-i-started-my-company-in-1998-i-worked-for-big-companies/) [Maria Cornejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-cornejo/) [Browse all 124 Big companies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're in a start-up, the first ten people will determine whether the company succeeds or not. Each is 10 percent of the company. So why wouldn't you take as much time as necessary to find all the A players? 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