--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From the outside, Yahoo was extremely…" description: "\"From the outside, Yahoo was extremely successful. It was making money; it was still bigger than Google. But when I got there, I learned what a disaster..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3df/stewart-butterfield-10773_battle_from-the-outside-yahoo-was-extremely-suc_1352385.jpg" --- # From the outside, Yahoo was extremely successful. It was… ![“From the outside, Yahoo was extremely successful. It was making money; it was still bigger than Google. But when I got there, I learned what a disaster of a company looks like from the inside. There were a lot of vice presidents, and it was basically a turf battle between them.” quote by Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3df/stewart-butterfield-10773_battle_from-the-outside-yahoo-was-extremely-suc_1352385.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3df/stewart-butterfield-10773_battle_from-the-outside-yahoo-was-extremely-suc_1352385.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3df/stewart-butterfield-10773_battle_from-the-outside-yahoo-was-extremely-suc_1352385.jpg) > “From the outside, Yahoo was extremely successful. It was making money; it was still bigger than Google. But when I got there, I learned what a disaster of a company looks like from the inside. There were a lot of vice presidents, and it was basically a turf battle between them.” [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. External success can mask internal dysfunction; leadership battles can cripple a company despite market dominance. **In simple terms:** Success hides internal problems. Key Takeaway Watch for internal conflict. Themes leadership organizational health culture Mood cautionary analytical Type business leadership When to use this quote - executive onboarding - team building - conflict resolution - strategic planning Key Concepts power struggles management corporate governance Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate internal dysfunction? - How can leaders prevent turf wars? A Different Perspective Changing culture is difficult and may meet resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Making money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-money/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [The time has come for me to pursue other interests outside of Yahoo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-yang/the-time-has-come-for-me-to-pursue-other-interests-outside-of-yahoo/) [Jerry Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-yang/) > [I really love being governor. I've been extremely successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/i-really-love-being-governor-i-ve-been-extremely-successful/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) > [You have so many different paths you can go down, but when you're in makeup or you're in hair and you're trusted for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-mondo/you-have-so-many-different-paths-you-can-go-down-but-when-you-re-in/) [Brad Mondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-mondo/) > [Chess was natural for me; I was extremely successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/chess-was-natural-for-me-i-was-extremely-successful/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [It's time for us all to step up. We've been extremely successful, but to be honest it's a reality check for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-campbell/it-s-time-for-us-all-to-step-up-we-ve-been-extremely-successful-but/) Darren Campbell > [There have been actors who have been extremely successful by doing just about everything that came their way. But I do what I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-kapur/there-have-been-actors-who-have-been-extremely-successful-by-doing/) [Pankaj Kapur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-kapur/) > [My younger self was driven by the desire to be extremely successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/my-younger-self-was-driven-by-the-desire-to-be-extremely-successful/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [I remember working with a guy named Andrew Braccia at Yahoo, and Yahoo was the company that bought Flickr. Everyone on his team was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/i-remember-working-with-a-guy-named-andrew-braccia-at-yahoo-and-yahoo/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [Yahoo is a company that is very strong in content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/yahoo-is-a-company-that-is-very-strong-in-content/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > ['Dependent web' platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Google and Yahoo are where people go to discover and share new content. Independent sites are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/dependent-web-platforms-such-as-twitter-facebook-google-and-yahoo-are/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [I truly believe that Yahoo! is one of the most compelling and dominant companies in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-levinsohn/i-truly-believe-that-yahoo-is-one-of-the-most-compelling-and-dominant/) [Ross Levinsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-levinsohn/) > [I'm very grateful and proud of the progress Yahoo! has made over the past year. When I took the position as chairman, I told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-amoroso/i-m-very-grateful-and-proud-of-the-progress-yahoo-has-made-over-the/) [Alfred Amoroso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-amoroso/) > [My time at Yahoo, from its founding to the present, has encompassed some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-yang/my-time-at-yahoo-from-its-founding-to-the-present-has-encompassed/) [Jerry Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-yang/) > [Yahoo! is committed to building the richest set of premium and personalized content experiences for our users.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-levinsohn/yahoo-is-committed-to-building-the-richest-set-of-premium-and/) [Ross Levinsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-levinsohn/) > [While it is often true that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it seems like Yahoo's almost obsessive focus on Google is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/while-it-is-often-true-that-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend-it/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) ## More by Stewart Butterfield > [Every customer interaction is a marketing opportunity. If you go above and beyond on the customer service side, people are much more likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/every-customer-interaction-is-a-marketing-opportunity-if-you-go-above/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [We're still at the beginning of a major transition in how people communicate and work together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/we-re-still-at-the-beginning-of-a-major-transition-in-how-people/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [I see all kinds of people work hard all over the world, and some of them are barely making it. I don't just mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/i-see-all-kinds-of-people-work-hard-all-over-the-world-and-some-of/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [What motivates me is just to do a really, really good job at something. If I were a better musician, I probably would've ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/what-motivates-me-is-just-to-do-a-really-really-good-job-at-something/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [The most productive employees, from my experience, are those who go home at 5:30 P.M. but are hyperfocused at work. People can only think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/the-most-productive-employees-from-my-experience-are-those-who-go/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [People think I'm smart because Flickr was successful. I'm lucky. Maybe I'm smart, too. But, I'm lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/people-think-i-m-smart-because-flickr-was-successful-i-m-lucky-maybe/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [The outward expression of empathy is courtesy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/the-outward-expression-of-empathy-is-courtesy/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [We created materials to explain Slack to individuals - what it was for, how it worked, what you're supposed to do - but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/we-created-materials-to-explain-slack-to-individuals-what-it-was-for/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [People tend to overestimate the short-term impact of technological change. In the short-term, it's not going to make that much of a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/people-tend-to-overestimate-the-short-term-impact-of-technological/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [There's a lot that's wrong with the way we work - bad habits that develop around control of information, people hoarding information as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/there-s-a-lot-that-s-wrong-with-the-way-we-work-bad-habits-that/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [You have to figure out what conversion means in your case. What does retention mean? What does activation mean? For every business, it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/you-have-to-figure-out-what-conversion-means-in-your-case-what-does/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [It’s hard to imagine the revenue from selling the prints will cover the cost of lost goodwill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/it-s-hard-to-imagine-the-revenue-from-selling-the-prints-will-cover/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [I'm going to make more money than I need in any outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/i-m-going-to-make-more-money-than-i-need-in-any-outcome/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [There's a lot of automation that can happen that isn't a replacement of humans but of mind-numbing behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/there-s-a-lot-of-automation-that-can-happen-that-isn-t-a-replacement/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [Flickr was designed partly to market itself. There are a lot features, in place early on, that let people take their photo, upload it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/flickr-was-designed-partly-to-market-itself-there-are-a-lot-features/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) [Explore all 63 Stewart Butterfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) ## More Battle quotes > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [“Which people take the time to care for their souls, these days? I reckon not many. But...hear this: I think that maybe in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fletcher/which-people-take-the-time-to-care-for-their-souls-these-days-i/) [Susan Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fletcher/) > [Only great and general battles can produce great results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/only-great-and-general-battles-can-produce-great-results/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Life is a battle of wits, and many people have to fight it unarmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/life-is-a-battle-of-wits-and-many-people-have-to-fight-it-unarmed/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [There's little in taking or giving, There's little in water or wine: This living, this living, this living, Was never a project of mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-little-in-taking-or-giving-there-s-little-in-water-or-wine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/) [Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/) > [I knew Jimmy Dean. He tested for 'Battle Cry'. Paul Newman tested for 'Battle Cry'. I did nine tests to finally get that role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/i-knew-jimmy-dean-he-tested-for-battle-cry-paul-newman-tested-for/) [Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/) > [“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-let-go-of-our-battles-and-open-our-heart-to-things-as-they/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [It's almost ironic sitting here watching stories about Norm's courageous 'battle' with cancer. He actually did a bit on stage about how stupid that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macdonald/it-s-almost-ironic-sitting-here-watching-stories-about-norm-s/) [Neil Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macdonald/) > [“Other folk thought the Rage was simple bloodlust, a berserk savagery that neither knew nor cared what its target was, and so it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-weber/other-folk-thought-the-rage-was-simple-bloodlust-a-berserk-savagery/) [David Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-weber/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [For many people it's Facebook, or sports on TV, whatever it is. I have my own demons that I battle. But whatever they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/for-many-people-it-s-facebook-or-sports-on-tv-whatever-it-is-i-have/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) [Browse all 4,526 Battle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "From the outside, Yahoo was extremely successful. It was making money; it was still bigger than Google. But when I got there, I learned what a disaster of a company looks like from the inside. 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