--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People think I'm smart because Flickr was…" description: "\"People think I'm smart because Flickr was successful. I'm lucky. Maybe I'm smart, too. But, I'm lucky.\" — Stewart Butterfield" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/stewart-butterfield-10773_lucky_people-think-i-m-smart-because-flickr-wa_228164.jpg" --- # People think I'm smart because Flickr was successful. I'm… ![“People think I'm smart because Flickr was successful. I'm lucky. Maybe I'm smart, too. But, I'm lucky.” quote by Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/stewart-butterfield-10773_lucky_people-think-i-m-smart-because-flickr-wa_228164.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/stewart-butterfield-10773_lucky_people-think-i-m-smart-because-flickr-wa_228164.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/stewart-butterfield-10773_lucky_people-think-i-m-smart-because-flickr-wa_228164.jpg) > “People think I'm smart because Flickr was successful. I'm lucky. Maybe I'm smart, too. But, I'm lucky.” [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. Success of a platform can be mistaken for personal intelligence, but luck plays a major role. **In simple terms:** Success isn’t always due to intelligence. Key Takeaway Acknowledge luck and stay humble. Themes success humility entrepreneurship perception Mood thoughtful humble Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - startup growth - personal branding - career development - risk assessment Key Concepts luck skill attribution Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate skill from chance? - What practices keep humility alive? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on luck may undermine effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) ## Related quotes > [I was smart or lucky or both. I saved my money. I was on TV for 10 years, and then I spent eight more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-nabors/i-was-smart-or-lucky-or-both-i-saved-my-money-i-was-on-tv-for-10/) [Jim Nabors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-nabors/) > [My philosophy is, if you work as hard as you can, you give yourself as many opportunities as you can to be successful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lashley/my-philosophy-is-if-you-work-as-hard-as-you-can-you-give-yourself-as/) [Bobby Lashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lashley/) > [Try stuff. I also used to believe that it's better to be smart than lucky because if you're smart you can out-think the competition.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/try-stuff-i-also-used-to-believe-that-it-s-better-to-be-smart-than/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [To be successful you have to be lucky, or a little mad, or very talented, or find yourself in a rapid growth field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/to-be-successful-you-have-to-be-lucky-or-a-little-mad-or-very/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Maybe you could be mine / or maybe we'll be entwined / aimless in this sexless foreplay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-c-scott/maybe-you-could-be-mine-or-maybe-we-ll-be-entwined-aimless-in-this/) [Jess C Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-c-scott/) > [There can be a wrong time - it's happened to countless bands where they release their first record on a major label and never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-fallon/there-can-be-a-wrong-time-it-s-happened-to-countless-bands-where-they/) [Brian Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-fallon/) > [Maybe there's some kind of modeling that can be tedious, like catalogue modeling, but there's a kind of modeling, with runways or working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/maybe-there-s-some-kind-of-modeling-that-can-be-tedious-like/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/) [Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [My wife and kids maybe beg to differ, but I am generally a good guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-macchio/my-wife-and-kids-maybe-beg-to-differ-but-i-am-generally-a-good-guy/) [Ralph Macchio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-macchio/) > [I really think there's no difference between an art piece made by a man and one made by a woman. Is it a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-really-think-there-s-no-difference-between-an-art-piece-made-by-a/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [You are the best person I've met in years, and if I'd met you in a year's time, or maybe even a few months,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/you-are-the-best-person-i-ve-met-in-years-and-if-i-d-met-you-in-a/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [“I am disappearing, maybe I'm already gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-am-disappearing-maybe-i-m-already-gone/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Sometimes in midfield, it's nice because you do get a little bit more of the ball, and maybe out wide you rely on people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/sometimes-in-midfield-it-s-nice-because-you-do-get-a-little-bit-more/) [Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [I was born in a little town called Lund in British Columbia. It's like a fishing village. My parents were hippies. They tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/i-was-born-in-a-little-town-called-lund-in-british-columbia-it-s-like/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) [Explore all 63 Stewart Butterfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) ## More Lucky quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [I was very lucky to get well known much later in life. You need to have flopped quite a few times to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-was-very-lucky-to-get-well-known-much-later-in-life-you-need-to/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [I like to sit down, relax, have a cup of coffee on the terrace and read a book. I like to travel the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-vos/i-like-to-sit-down-relax-have-a-cup-of-coffee-on-the-terrace-and-read/) [Marianne Vos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-vos/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [Maybe that’s what love meant, both people thinking they were the lucky one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meera-syal/maybe-that-s-what-love-meant-both-people-thinking-they-were-the-lucky/) [Meera Syal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meera-syal/) > [I have been lucky enough to travel a lot, meet great people in many lands. I have liked almost everyone I met along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/i-have-been-lucky-enough-to-travel-a-lot-meet-great-people-in-many/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [It's not what the world gives you, but what you can give it. I'm lucky. I can give the world talent. I can explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moe-norman/it-s-not-what-the-world-gives-you-but-what-you-can-give-it-i-m-lucky/) [Moe Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moe-norman/) > [I am fortunate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-westheimer/i-am-fortunate/) [Ruth Westheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-westheimer/) > [Everybody tries to score a great goal, and I am lucky I have netted a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlatan-ibrahimovic/everybody-tries-to-score-a-great-goal-and-i-am-lucky-i-have-netted-a/) [Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlatan-ibrahimovic/) > [ I think it is worse \[in 2015\] for a mid-list author such as myself. You either have to sell like Stephen King or go… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-p-kinsella/i-think-it-is-worse-in-2015-for-a-mid-list-author-such-as-myself-you/) [W. P. Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-p-kinsella/) > [It is a sad fact that 50 percent of marriages in this country end in divorce. But hey, the other half end in death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jeni/it-is-a-sad-fact-that-50-percent-of-marriages-in-this-country-end-in/) [Richard Jeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jeni/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) [Browse all 6,884 Lucky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People think I'm smart because Flickr was successful. I'm lucky. Maybe I'm smart, too. 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