--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you could have a gigantic billboard…" description: "\"“If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say and why? A single bottom line of profit motive no longer serves..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/timothy-ferriss-973_bottom-line_if-you-could-have-a-gigantic-billboard-a_855614.jpg" --- # If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with… ![“If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say and why? A single bottom line of profit motive no longer serves our interdependent world. We must move from a focus on shareholders to one on stakeholders, take a long-term view, and measure what matters, not…” quote by Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/timothy-ferriss-973_bottom-line_if-you-could-have-a-gigantic-billboard-a_855614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/timothy-ferriss-973_bottom-line_if-you-could-have-a-gigantic-billboard-a_855614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/timothy-ferriss-973_bottom-line_if-you-could-have-a-gigantic-billboard-a_855614.jpg) > ““If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say and why? A single bottom line of profit motive no longer serves our interdependent world. We must move from a focus on shareholders to one on stakeholders, take a long-term view, and measure what matters, not just what we can count. That’s a lot easier to say than to do. So we created a manifesto at Acumen, a moral compass to guide our decisions and actions. It is an aspirational document, one I think about daily, though I don’t always live up to it. It is long for a billboard, but maybe if we put it in the right place and encouraged people to pause for just a moment, which in itself wouldn’t be so bad. Here it is: It starts by standing with the poor, listening to voices unheard, and recognizing potential where others see despair. It demands investing as a means, not an end, daring to go where markets have failed and aid has fallen short. It makes capital work for us, not control us. It thrives on moral imagination: the humility to see the world as it is, and the audacity to imagine the world as it could be. It’s having the ambition to learn at the edge, the wisdom to admit failure, and the courage to start again. It requires patience and kindness, resilience and grit: a hard-edged hope. It’s leadership that rejects complacency, breaks through bureaucracy, and challenges corruption. Doing what’s right, not what’s easy. It’s the radical idea of creating hope in a cynical world. Changing the way the world tackles poverty and building a world based on dignity. Or else, I might borrow Rilke’s gorgeous mantra to “Live the Questions,” which is a simple reminder to have the moral courage to live in the gray, sit with uncertainty but not in a passive way. Live the questions so that, one day, you will live yourself into the answers. . . . What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? Don’t worry all that much about your first job. Just start, and let the work teach you. With every step, you will discover more about who you want to be and what you want to do. If you wait for the perfect and keep all of your options open, you might end up with nothing but options. So start.”” [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A manifesto urging shift from profit‑centric to stakeholder‑centric thinking, urging moral imagination, humility, and resilience in tackling poverty. **In simple terms:** Focus on people, not just profit. Key Takeaway Prioritize stakeholder impact. Themes social impact stakeholder ethics leadership Mood inspirational thought‑provoking Type manifesto advice When to use this quote - non‑profit work - social entrepreneurship - policy making Key Concepts moral imagination long‑term view resilience humility Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure stakeholder value? - What steps foster moral imagination? A Different Perspective Implementation is harder than articulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acumen Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acumen-moral-798031/) [Aspirational Document](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspirational-document-798035/) [Bottom line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom-line/) [College student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-student/) [Courage to live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-to-live/) [Created Manifesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-manifesto-798033/) [Doing What'S Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-what-s-right/) [Every step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-step/) [First job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-job/) [Manifesto Acumen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manifesto-acumen-798030/) [Moral compass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/) [Moral courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-courage/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Right place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-place/) ## Related quotes > [Once you've postponed doing what's right, you become a big part of what's wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kelly/once-you-ve-postponed-doing-what-s-right-you-become-a-big-part-of/) [Elizabeth Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kelly/) > [Doing what’s right isn’t supposed to hurt someone you care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mallery/doing-what-s-right-isn-t-supposed-to-hurt-someone-you-care-about/) [Susan Mallery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mallery/) > [“If you boil it down, just because someone else does the wrong thing we are not exempt from doing what’s right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/if-you-boil-it-down-just-because-someone-else-does-the-wrong-thing-we/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [It's a real pleasure to earn the trust of your customers slowly over time by doing what's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-s-a-real-pleasure-to-earn-the-trust-of-your-customers-slowly-over/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [“It's all right to feel afraid, you know." He smiled. "Being brave doesn't mean not feeling afraid. True bravery is feeling your fear, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-applebaum/it-s-all-right-to-feel-afraid-you-know-he-smiled-being-brave-doesn-t/) [Kirsty Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-applebaum/) > [“I think that the law isn’t about words on paper. It’s about doing what’s right,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-correia/i-think-that-the-law-isn-t-about-words-on-paper-it-s-about-doing-what/) [Larry Correia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-correia/) > [Everybody says they want to win. But when you start talking about sacrifice and doing what's right for the team, it's like, 'Wait a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bosh/everybody-says-they-want-to-win-but-when-you-start-talking-about/) [Chris Bosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bosh/) > [Politics isn't something that really interested me; I, of course, care about what's going on in the world, but so much of political discourse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/politics-isn-t-something-that-really-interested-me-i-of-course-care/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [“Every day, librarians enforce copyright policies that we may disagree with and that, in some ways, run contrary to the values of our profession.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-david-lankes/every-day-librarians-enforce-copyright-policies-that-we-may-disagree/) [R. David Lankes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-david-lankes/) > [Life comes down to honesty and doing what's right. That's what's most important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-feller/life-comes-down-to-honesty-and-doing-what-s-right-that-s-what-s-most/) [Bob Feller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-feller/) > [If you think of life and death on a continuum, finding the point where it tips is complicated. It cuts across all political lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clift/if-you-think-of-life-and-death-on-a-continuum-finding-the-point-where/) [Eleanor Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clift/) > [“People don't seem to realize that doing what's right is no guarantee against misfortune.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcfee/people-don-t-seem-to-realize-that-doing-what-s-right-is-no-guarantee/) [William McFee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcfee/) > [People don't ever seem to realize that doing what's right, writes no guarantee against misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcfee/people-don-t-ever-seem-to-realize-that-doing-what-s-right-writes-no/) [William McFee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcfee/) > [Doing what's right should be easy. It shouldn't be just another big mess like everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/doing-what-s-right-should-be-easy-it-shouldn-t-be-just-another-big/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [People don't ever seem to realize that doing what's right is no guarantee against misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcfee/people-don-t-ever-seem-to-realize-that-doing-what-s-right-is-no/) [William McFee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcfee/) ## More by Timothy Ferriss > [“First of all, if we’re serious all the time, we’ll wear out before we get the truly serious stuff done. Second, if this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/first-of-all-if-we-re-serious-all-the-time-we-ll-wear-out-before-we/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-is-the-book-or-books-you-ve-given-most-as-a-gift-and-why-or-what/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore? Nobody really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-advice-would-you-give-to-a-smart-driven-college-student-about-to/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center. Big, undreamed-of things—the people on the edge see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/out-on-the-edge-you-see-all-kinds-of-things-you-can-t-see-from-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“information without emotion isn’t retained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/information-without-emotion-isn-t-retained/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Pure hell forces action, but anything less can be endured with enough clever rationalization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/pure-hell-forces-action-but-anything-less-can-be-endured-with-enough/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? Most of the game is about persistence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-advice-would-you-give-to-a-smart-driven-college-student-about-to-2/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/don-t-aim-at-success-the-more-you-aim-at-it-and-make-it-a-target-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“conscious thinking is largely asking and answering questions in your own head. If you want confusion and heartache, ask vague questions. If you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/conscious-thinking-is-largely-asking-and-answering-questions-in-your/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What bullshit excuses do you have for not going after whatever it is that you want? Please,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-bullshit-excuses-do-you-have-for-not-going-after-whatever-it-is/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“The fishing is best where the fewest go,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/the-fishing-is-best-where-the-fewest-go/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Using people to leverage a refined process multiplies production; using people as a solution to a poor process multiplies problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/using-people-to-leverage-a-refined-process-multiplies-production/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Being financially rich and having the ability to live like a millionaire are fundamentally two very different things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/being-financially-rich-and-having-the-ability-to-live-like-a/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What are the top-three activities that I use to fill time to feel as though I’ve been productive? These are usually used to postpone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-are-the-top-three-activities-that-i-use-to-fill-time-to-feel-as/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/the-factory-of-the-future-will-have-only-two-employees-a-man-and-a/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) [Explore all 310 Timothy Ferriss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) ## More Bottom line quotes > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [Cheer up. You're not going to be single forever. Bottom line is, you're young. Don't base your future on your past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cheer-up-you-re-not-going-to-be-single-forever-bottom-line-is-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/) [Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/) > [Well, the bottom line is that I'm extremely pleased with 'The Stupids.' I'm pleased that it's coming out, and it should look good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/well-the-bottom-line-is-that-i-m-extremely-pleased-with-the-stupids-i/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [The bottom line, in the professional level, no matter where you go, there's going to be competition. That's what it is. At the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/the-bottom-line-in-the-professional-level-no-matter-where-you-go/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [The political satirist usually votes against their own interests, but the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/the-political-satirist-usually-votes-against-their-own-interests-but/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) > [I'm very grateful to be where I'm at and be able to play. That's really the bottom line for me. Survival and being able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-m-very-grateful-to-be-where-i-m-at-and-be-able-to-play-that-s/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Bottom line is, work ethic equals dreams, and I am walking proof that that's a fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/bottom-line-is-work-ethic-equals-dreams-and-i-am-walking-proof-that/) [Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/) > [One of two things when the guy you're dating isn't really ready to commit. He's an a\*\*hole and he's cheating on you; bottom line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-catherwood/one-of-two-things-when-the-guy-you-re-dating-isn-t-really-ready-to/) [Michael Catherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-catherwood/) > [The bottom line on attitude is that a good one helps to increase your possibilities. Pessimists usually get what they expect. So do optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-bottom-line-on-attitude-is-that-a-good-one-helps-to-increase-your/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [If you look at the statistics, I genuinely understand why when we go to a production company or a broadcaster, and they say our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joivan-wade/if-you-look-at-the-statistics-i-genuinely-understand-why-when-we-go/) [Joivan Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joivan-wade/) > [With a reality show, the bottom line is, there's no plot; there's no finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-gosselin/with-a-reality-show-the-bottom-line-is-there-s-no-plot-there-s-no/) [Kate Gosselin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-gosselin/) > [Two to 4% of cancers respond to chemotherapy…The bottom line is for a few kinds of cancer chemo is a life extending procedure-Hodgkin's disease,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-w-moss/two-to-4-of-cancers-respond-to-chemotherapy-the-bottom-line-is-for-a/) [Ralph W. Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-w-moss/) > [The bottom line is that (a) people are never perfect, but love can be, (b) that is the one and only way that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-bottom-line-is-that-a-people-are-never-perfect-but-love-can-be-b/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Browse all 942 Bottom line quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom-line/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say and why? A single bottom line of profit motive no longer serves our interdependent world. We must move from a focus on shareholders to one on stakeholders, take a long-term view, and measure what matters, not just what we can count. That’s a lot easier to say than to do. So we created a manifesto at Acumen, a moral compass to guide our decisions and actions. It is an aspirational document, one I think about daily, though I don’t always live up to it. It is long for a billboard, but maybe if we put it in the right place and encouraged people to pause for just a moment, which in itself wouldn’t be so bad. Here it is: It starts by standing with the poor, listening to voices unheard, and recognizing potential where others see despair. It demands investing as a means, not an end, daring to go where markets have failed and aid has fallen short. It makes capital work for us, not control us. It thrives on moral imagination: the humility to see the world as it is, and the audacity to imagine the world as it could be. It’s having the ambition to learn at the edge, the wisdom to admit failure, and the courage to start again. It requires patience and kindness, resilience and grit: a hard-edged hope. It’s leadership that rejects complacency, breaks through bureaucracy, and challenges corruption. Doing what’s right, not what’s easy. It’s the radical idea of creating hope in a cynical world. Changing the way the world tackles poverty and building a world based on dignity. Or else, I might borrow Rilke’s gorgeous mantra to “Live the Questions,” which is a simple reminder to have the moral courage to live in the gray, sit with uncertainty but not in a passive way. Live the questions so that, one day, you will live yourself into the answers. . . . What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? Don’t worry all that much about your first job. Just start, and let the work teach you. With every step, you will discover more about who you want to be and what you want to do. If you wait for the perfect and keep all of your options open, you might end up with nothing but options. 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