--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father, an entrepreneur but hardly a…" description: "\"My father, an entrepreneur but hardly a technologist, was looking to buy a computer to 'automate' our family business. In 1981, he characteristically d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/steven-sinofsky-17774_bought_my-father-an-entrepreneur-but-hardly-a-t_280336.jpg" --- # My father, an entrepreneur but hardly a technologist, was… ![“My father, an entrepreneur but hardly a technologist, was looking to buy a computer to 'automate' our family business. In 1981, he characteristically dove head first into computing and bought an Osborne I.” quote by Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/steven-sinofsky-17774_bought_my-father-an-entrepreneur-but-hardly-a-t_280336.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/steven-sinofsky-17774_bought_my-father-an-entrepreneur-but-hardly-a-t_280336.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/steven-sinofsky-17774_bought_my-father-an-entrepreneur-but-hardly-a-t_280336.jpg) > “My father, an entrepreneur but hardly a technologist, was looking to buy a computer to 'automate' our family business. In 1981, he characteristically dove head first into computing and bought an Osborne I.” [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An entrepreneur with limited tech knowledge impulsively purchased an early personal computer, illustrating bold, hands‑on experimentation despite lacking expertise. **In simple terms:** Entrepreneurs may dive into unfamiliar tech out of curiosity. Key Takeaway Embrace hands‑on learning. Themes entrepreneurship technology adoption risk taking Mood reflective pragmatic Type personal historical When to use this quote - startup tech decisions - personal tech adoption - learning curves Key Concepts innovation learning by doing early computing Questions to Reflect On - What risks are worth taking without full knowledge? - How can you balance curiosity with due diligence? A Different Perspective Impulsive tech purchases can be costly without research. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bought/) [Bought Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bought-osborne-2721160/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Buy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buy/) [Buy Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buy-computer-1696339/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Computing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computing/) [Computing Bought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computing-bought-2721159/) [Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dove/) [Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneur/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-business/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-entrepreneur-310306/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Hardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardly/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/head/) [Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [My mother is an artist, my father an entrepreneur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-brennan-jobs/my-mother-is-an-artist-my-father-an-entrepreneur/) [Lisa Brennan-Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-brennan-jobs/) > [My father was the first entrepreneur in the family. He started his own record label, his own restaurant. He knew that, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohan-marley/my-father-was-the-first-entrepreneur-in-the-family-he-started-his-own/) [Rohan Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohan-marley/) > [I got my computer. The great thing about the computer is that you only need enough money to buy a computer and some food,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/i-got-my-computer-the-great-thing-about-the-computer-is-that-you-only/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [In the old days, I'd have to go as a company, buy computer resources, buy servers, buy storage, and lash it all together. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-levine/in-the-old-days-i-d-have-to-go-as-a-company-buy-computer-resources/) [Peter Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-levine/) > [ Phoebe : \[Right after playing a song in the coffee shop \] If you want to receive e-mails about my upcoming shows, then please… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friends/phoebe-right-after-playing-a-song-in-the-coffee-shop-if-you-want-to/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friends/) > [The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it to a nationwide communications network.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-compelling-reason-for-most-people-to-buy-a-computer-for-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I think that some people will never buy a computer because I think now we're at the point where the iPad does what some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/i-think-that-some-people-will-never-buy-a-computer-because-i-think/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I only buy a computer when it's two years old, after the glitches have been worked out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-only-buy-a-computer-when-it-s-two-years-old-after-the-glitches-have/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [Why I am NOT going to buy a computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/why-i-am-not-going-to-buy-a-computer/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [When I was twenty, and my family were business people, and I had disappeared to India and they were like, "What are you doing?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kraftsow/when-i-was-twenty-and-my-family-were-business-people-and-i-had/) [Gary Kraftsow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kraftsow/) > [Building my family and my business in Jasper has taught me so much in my life, and one of those lessons is to always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-braun/building-my-family-and-my-business-in-jasper-has-taught-me-so-much-in/) [Mike Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-braun/) > [ “For as long as I could remember, I'd been making vague and confident assurances that any day I would finish the thing \[my book\].… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/for-as-long-as-i-could-remember-i-d-been-making-vague-and-confident/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [I'm very blessed, mainly because even though my family is mostly in show business, it's really centered around music. My parents were very successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-m-very-blessed-mainly-because-even-though-my-family-is-mostly-in/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I have a great relationship with all my brothers. I've got three other ones. There's four boys and two girls. It's a family business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanie-buss/i-have-a-great-relationship-with-all-my-brothers-i-ve-got-three-other/) [Jeanie Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanie-buss/) > [All my kids have worked in the family business. I've been successful at that. My family knows how to work. We all started working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-spanos/all-my-kids-have-worked-in-the-family-business-i-ve-been-successful/) [Alex Spanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-spanos/) ## More by Steven Sinofsky > [The best work for creative folks on the team is when the problem is big and the solution escapes everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/the-best-work-for-creative-folks-on-the-team-is-when-the-problem-is/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [When you build a product, you make a lot of assumptions about the state of the art of technology, the best business practices, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/when-you-build-a-product-you-make-a-lot-of-assumptions-about-the/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [As much as we think of performance management as numeric and thus perfectly quantifiable, it is as much a product of context and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/as-much-as-we-think-of-performance-management-as-numeric-and-thus/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [Continuous productivity manifests itself as an environment where the evolving tools and culture make it possible to innovate more and faster than ever, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/continuous-productivity-manifests-itself-as-an-environment-where-the/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [I always feel great. I get to come to work every day and see the build from the night before, and every day we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/i-always-feel-great-i-get-to-come-to-work-every-day-and-see-the-build/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [It is impossible to count the blessings I have received over my years at Microsoft. I am humbled by the professionalism and generosity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/it-is-impossible-to-count-the-blessings-i-have-received-over-my-years/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [I've always advocated using the break between product cycles as an opportunity to reflect and to look ahead, and that applies to me, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/i-ve-always-advocated-using-the-break-between-product-cycles-as-an/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [Management, at every level, is about the effort to frame challenges, define end states, and allocate resources to navigate between them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/management-at-every-level-is-about-the-effort-to-frame-challenges/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [Disruption is a critical element of the evolution of technology - from the positive and negative aspects of disruption a typical pattern emerges, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/disruption-is-a-critical-element-of-the-evolution-of-technology-from/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [I like a good cliche because it reminds you that much of management practice boils down to things you need to do but often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/i-like-a-good-cliche-because-it-reminds-you-that-much-of-management/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [The cloud-powered smartphone and tablet, as productivity tools, are transforming the world around us along with the implied changes in how we work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/the-cloud-powered-smartphone-and-tablet-as-productivity-tools-are/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [With the general availability of Windows 8/RT and Surface, I have decided it is time for me to take a step back from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/with-the-general-availability-of-windows-8-rt-and-surface-i-have/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [BlackBerry required tethering for some routine operations, and for many, the only way to integrate corporate mail was to keep a PC running all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/blackberry-required-tethering-for-some-routine-operations-and-for/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [If the work requires smart, talented, creative people, then more than anything, you want to enable folks on the team to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/if-the-work-requires-smart-talented-creative-people-then-more-than/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [Nothing called the "Gang Of Four" ends well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/nothing-called-the-gang-of-four-ends-well/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) [Explore all 36 Steven Sinofsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) ## More Bought quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [Companies are bought for their revenue, customer base, technology, or people. A few great companies offer all of these, but any valuable business offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/companies-are-bought-for-their-revenue-customer-base-technology-or/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [I've never bought this idea of taking a therapeutic distance. If I see a student or house staff cry, I take great faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/i-ve-never-bought-this-idea-of-taking-a-therapeutic-distance-if-i-see/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [“For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/for-the-best-is-only-bought-at-the-cost-of-great-pain/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [Well, executive producer can mean anything in the world of Hollywood, sadly. It can be a bought title in many instances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-stanton/well-executive-producer-can-mean-anything-in-the-world-of-hollywood/) [Andrew Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-stanton/) > [As far as vintage Champagne goes, I loved 1990; it's a great, great vintage. I bought a lot of 1990 Blanc de Blancs Champagne…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-parker-jr/as-far-as-vintage-champagne-goes-i-loved-1990-it-s-a-great-great/) [Robert M. Parker, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-parker-jr/) > [I bought cars for all six of my children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-edochie/i-bought-cars-for-all-six-of-my-children/) [Pete Edochie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-edochie/) > [I can't be bought. I don't need to be bought. I'm not a careerist. I don't need to have a career in politics. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zac-goldsmith/i-can-t-be-bought-i-don-t-need-to-be-bought-i-m-not-a-careerist-i-don/) [Zac Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zac-goldsmith/) > [I bought tiny infant onesies while still in college and compiled a killer toy collection throughout my 20s and 30s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/i-bought-tiny-infant-onesies-while-still-in-college-and-compiled-a/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [But the manager's bought wisely - the players who've come in have taken us on to a different level and the players who won…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-sheringham/but-the-manager-s-bought-wisely-the-players-who-ve-come-in-have-taken/) [Teddy Sheringham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-sheringham/) > [Large fish such as tuna are shown already cut into fillets and bought by the block. Fillets should be almost transparent. 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