--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know a startup that hasn't been…" description: "\"I don't know a startup that hasn't been through tough times.\" — Vinod Khosla" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/vinod-khosla-5401_customer_i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been_1877600.png" --- # I don't know a startup that hasn't been through tough times. ![“I don't know a startup that hasn't been through tough times.” quote by Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/vinod-khosla-5401_customer_i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been_1877600.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/vinod-khosla-5401_customer_i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been_1877600.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/vinod-khosla-5401_customer_i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been_1877600.png) > “I don't know a startup that hasn't been through tough times.” [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledges that every startup faces difficulty, emphasizing resilience. **In simple terms:** All startups experience hardship. Key Takeaway Prepare for and learn from challenges. Themes entrepreneurship resilience business Mood determined realistic Type motivational business When to use this quote - pitch meetings - product launches - fundraising rounds Key Concepts startup lifecycle risk management Questions to Reflect On - What strategies help you navigate tough times? - How can you support others in similar struggles? A Different Perspective Not all hardships are equal; some may be insurmountable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Hasn Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hasn-tough-835603/) [Know Startup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-startup-2408265/) [Startup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup/) [Startup Hasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup-hasn-2631729/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough/) [Tough times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough-times/) ## Related quotes > [You know in a startup, you only need three people. You need someone who can make something. You need someone who can sell it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/you-know-in-a-startup-you-only-need-three-people-you-need-someone-who/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [I didn't even know that there was a startup culture, that there were events with people who built businesses. When I started meeting those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-minshew/i-didn-t-even-know-that-there-was-a-startup-culture-that-there-were/) [Kathryn Minshew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-minshew/) > [Adjusting to life without cricket hasn't been very tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/adjusting-to-life-without-cricket-hasn-t-been-very-tough/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [Startup culture fosters laughter, debate, and a passionate, non-politically-correct focus on getting things done. And this startup of culture is something entrepreneurs struggle to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-clark/startup-culture-fosters-laughter-debate-and-a-passionate-non/) [Clay Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-clark/) > [Starting a startup is a process of trial and error. What guided the founders through this process was their empathy for the users. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-livingston/starting-a-startup-is-a-process-of-trial-and-error-what-guided-the/) [Jessica Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-livingston/) > [A startup, to a some degree, is a set of those challenges of, 'If you don't solve this, you're dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/a-startup-to-a-some-degree-is-a-set-of-those-challenges-of-if-you-don/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [“In the Lean Startup model, every product, every feature, every marketing campaign—everything a startup does—is understood to be an experiment designed to achieve validated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ries/in-the-lean-startup-model-every-product-every-feature-every-marketing/) [Eric Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ries/) > [Like a lot of other DJs, I've been wondering when the first DJ game was going to happen. Somebody even pitched me on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/like-a-lot-of-other-djs-i-ve-been-wondering-when-the-first-dj-game/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [“describes how in 1999 he and some friends founded his first startup, Epinions, a website for consumer reviews. They had to raise $8m”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/describes-how-in-1999-he-and-some-friends-founded-his-first-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Separation, I think, in an early-stage company or a startup environment is not a good thing. You need to basically live and breathe the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/separation-i-think-in-an-early-stage-company-or-a-startup-environment/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [HubSpot has used the lean startup method to build a spectacularly successful company. What I particularly love about HubSpot is that they are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ries/hubspot-has-used-the-lean-startup-method-to-build-a-spectacularly/) [Eric Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ries/) > [The benefit to building a startup is that customers don't have the same kind of friction when they adopt new technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-levie/the-benefit-to-building-a-startup-is-that-customers-don-t-have-the/) [Aaron Levie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-levie/) > [Stalking is an underrated startup strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rottenberg/stalking-is-an-underrated-startup-strategy/) [Linda Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rottenberg/) > [“So Mack got kind of a late start in the startup world—he founded TakeOff at the ripe old age of twenty-five”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doree-shafrir/so-mack-got-kind-of-a-late-start-in-the-startup-world-he-founded/) [Doree Shafrir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doree-shafrir/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Vinod Khosla > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [The world is hung up on food-based biofuels. Not only are they the wrong thing, they're the uneconomic thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/the-world-is-hung-up-on-food-based-biofuels-not-only-are-they-the/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I generally disagree with most of the very high margin opportunities. Why? Because it's a business strategy tradeoff: the lower the margin you take,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-generally-disagree-with-most-of-the-very-high-margin-opportunities/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [The probability of failure doesn't matter to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/the-probability-of-failure-doesn-t-matter-to-me/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [If I collected all the diamonds in the world, I'd have no 'income' but I'd have a lot of 'assets'. Would my company be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/if-i-collected-all-the-diamonds-in-the-world-i-d-have-no-income-but-i/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [What an entrepreneur does is to build for the long run. If the market is great, you get all of the resources you can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/what-an-entrepreneur-does-is-to-build-for-the-long-run-if-the-market/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [New industries are created by entrepreneurs who don't necessarily have subject matter expertise when they get started, yet they are still responsible for most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/new-industries-are-created-by-entrepreneurs-who-don-t-necessarily/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I don’t mind failing, but if I succeed it better be worth succeeding for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-don-t-mind-failing-but-if-i-succeed-it-better-be-worth-succeeding/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I believe cellulosic fuels, biofuels made from nonfood crops are the only solution that will make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-believe-cellulosic-fuels-biofuels-made-from-nonfood-crops-are-the/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [You have to invent the future you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/you-have-to-invent-the-future-you-want/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Hopefully, I can advise entrepreneurs to avoid mistakes. But you can never be sure if you're trying something new and unreasonable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/hopefully-i-can-advise-entrepreneurs-to-avoid-mistakes-but-you-can/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Seeking an acquisition from the start is more than just bad advice for an entrepreneur. For the entrepreneur it leads to short term tactical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/seeking-an-acquisition-from-the-start-is-more-than-just-bad-advice/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Letting the perfect be the enemy of the good is one of the reasons we have a coal-dependent infrastructure, with the resulting environmental impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/letting-the-perfect-be-the-enemy-of-the-good-is-one-of-the-reasons-we/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Germany has a lot of solar power. In fact, in 2005, some 55 or 57 percent of worldwide installations were photovoltaics in Germany. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/germany-has-a-lot-of-solar-power-in-fact-in-2005-some-55-or-57/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [The willingness to fail gives us the freedom to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/the-willingness-to-fail-gives-us-the-freedom-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) [Explore all 101 Vinod Khosla quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) ## More Customer quotes > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/) [Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/) > [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/) [Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/) > [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) [Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know a startup that hasn't been through tough times.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vinod Khosla" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been-through-tough-times/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Customer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been-through-tough-times/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/vinod-khosla-5401_customer_i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been_1877600.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/vinod-khosla-5401_customer_i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been_1877600.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/vinod-khosla-5401_customer_i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been_1877600.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't know a startup that hasn't been through tough times.” — Vinod Khosla", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Vinod Khosla", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't know a startup that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been-through-tough-times/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-don-t-know-a-startup-that-hasn-t-been-through-tough-times/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```