In order to transform an idea into a successful startup, you must have guts, tenacity, and a never-say-die mindset.
As an entrepreneur, you need as much motivation and inspiration as possible.
As a result, we’ve produced a compilation of 107 motivational startup quotes from successful entrepreneurs, investors, and business executives such as Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Guy Kawasaki and others.
These quotes will inspire you to pursue your ambitions, overcome challenges, and launch a successful business.
So be ready to get inspired and take your business to the next level!
Inspiring Startup Quotes for Entrepreneurs and Side Hustlers
1. “Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard.” ~ Guy Kawasaki.
2. “Life is a game. Money is how we keep score.” ~ Ted Turner.
3. “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” ~ Henry Ford.
4. “Wonder what your customer really wants? Ask. Don’t tell.” ~ Lisa Stone.
5. “Sustaining a successful business is a hell of a lot of work, and staying hungry is half the battle.” ~ Wendy Tan White.
6. “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” ~ Mario Andretti.
7. “Done is better than perfect.” ~ Sheryl Sandberg.
8. “Every day that we spent not improving our products was a wasted day.” ~ Joel Spolsky.
9. “Always wake up with a smile knowing that today you are going to have fun accomplishing what others are too afraid to do.” ~ Mark Cuban
10. “When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.” ~ Josh James
11. “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” ~ Steve Jobs.
12. “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” ~ Sheryl Sandberg.
Also Read: 123 Famous Hard Work Quotes To Succeed In Life & Business and 49 Business Success Quotes to Motivate You Today
Inspirational Startup Quotes
13. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” ~ Jim Rohn
14. “If you’re going to put your product in beta – put your business model in beta with it.” ~ Joe Kraus
15. “Forget about your competitors, just focus on your customers.” ~ Jack Ma
16. “Stay hungry. And bootstrap.” ~ Rob Kalin
17. “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” ~ Eric Thomas
18. “Always look for the fool in the deal. If you don’t find one, it’s you.” ~ Mark Cuban
19. “Genius is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
20. “Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once.” ~ Drew Houston
21. “High expectations are the key to everything.” ~ Sam Walton
22. “The only thing worse than starting something and failing is not starting something.” ~ Seth Godin
23. “Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress.” ~ Seth Godin
24. “What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: Know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” ~ Dave Thomas
25. “The world is not changed by people who sort of care.” ~ Sally Hogshead
26. ““Make something people want” includes making a company that people want to work for.” ~ Sahil Lavingia
27. “Our industry does not respect tradition. It only respects innovation.” ~ Satya Nadella
28. “If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” ~ Reid Hoffman
29. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” ~ Winston Churchill
30. “Make mistakes faster.” ~ Andrew Grove.
Motivational Startup Quotes
31. “Whatever you’re thinking, think bigger.” ~ Tony Hsieh.
32. “When I’m old and dying, I plan to look back on my life and say, ‘Wow, that was an adventure,’ not, ‘Wow, I sure felt safe.’” ~ Tom Preston-Werner
33. “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” ~ Jeff Bezos
34. “When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for people telling you that you are nuts.” ~ Larry Ellison
35. “Chase the vision, not the money. The money will end up following you.” ~ Tony Hsieh
36. “Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” ~ Biz Stone
37. “Don’t be afraid to assert yourself, have confidence in your abilities and don’t let the bastards get you down.” ~ Michael Bloomberg
38. “Not having a clear goal leads to death by a thousand compromises.” ~ Mark Pincus
39. “Don’t try to be original, just try to be good.” ~ Paul Rand
40. “I never took a day off in my twenties. Not one.” ~ Bill Gates
41. “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” ~ Henry Ford
42. “If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.” ~ John D. Rockefeller
43. “80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.” ~ Pareto Principle
44. “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.” ~ Henry Ford
45. “If you are going through hell, keep going.” ~ Winston Churchill
46. “You just have to pay attention to what people need and what has not been done.” ~ Russell Simmons
47. “So often people are working hard at the wrong thing. Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard.” ~ Caterina Fake
48. “I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest.” ~ Venus Williams
49. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” ~ Mark Twain
50. “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” ~ Elon Musk
51. “Diligence is the mother of good luck.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
52. “Nothing works better than just improving your product.” ~ Joel Spolsky
53. “Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.” ~ Nelson Mandela
54. “You jump off a cliff and you assemble an airplane on the way down.” ~ Reid Hoffman
55. “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.” ~ Steve Jobs.
Powerful Startup Quotes
56. “Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.” ~ Mark Zuckerberg
57. “You can be comfortable in your career or extraordinary. Which one are you going to be?” ~ Sally Hogshead
58. “The very first company I started failed with a great bang. The second one failed a little bit less, but still failed. The third one, you know, proper failed, but it was kind of okay. I recovered quickly. Number four almost didn’t fail. It still didn’t really feel great, but it did okay. Number five was PayPal.” ~ Max Levchin
59. “Micromanage the process, not the people.” ~ Joe Apfelbaum
60. “Any time is a good time to start a company.” ~ Ron Conway
61. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
62. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over.” ~ Richard Branson
63. “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” ~ Steve Jobs
64. “Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.” ~ Jack London
65. “Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect.” ~ Jack Dorsey
66. “There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” ~ Sam Walton
67. “It’s not that we need new ideas, but we need to stop having old ideas.” ~ Edwin H. Land
68. “Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” ~ Mark Cuban
69. “We are really competing against ourselves, we have no control over how other people perform.” ~ Pete Cashmore
70. “No business plan survives first contact with customers.” ~ Steve Blank
71. “The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%.” ~ Rob Kalin
72. “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” ~ Steve Jobs
73. “Running a startup is like being punched in the face repeatedly, but working for a large company is like being waterboarded.” ~ Paul Graham
74. “Eliminate all the unimportant opportunities.” ~ Mike Markkula
75. “Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph: a beginning, a struggle and a victory.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
76. “If your sole focus is money, you may create a successful startup. But if it’s impact, you can probably create history.” ~ Sharad Vivek Sagar
77. “Real artists ship.” ~ Steve Jobs.
Great Startup Quotes
78. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” ~ Sara Blakely
79. “We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
80. “Ideas are commodity. Execution of them is not.” ~ Michael Dell
81. “80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.” ~ Pareto principle
82. “Sweat equity is the most valuable equity there is.” ~ Mark Cuban
83. “Starting your own business is like riding a roller coaster. There are highs and lows and every turn you take is another twist. The lows are really low, but the highs can be really high. You have to be strong, keep your stomach tight, and ride along with the roller coaster that you started.” ~ Lindsay Manseau
84. “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” ~ Wayne Gretzy
85. “I think the single most reassuring thing about doing a startup is knowing in advance how difficult it is going to be.” ~ Jared Tame
86. “Unless you are a fortune-teller, long-term business planning is a fantasy.” ~ Jason Fried
87. “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” ~ Parkinson’s law
88. “The cost of hiring someone bad is so much greater than missing out on someone good.” ~ Joe Kraus
89. “The most important thing is not to let fundraising get you down. Startups live or die on morale. If you let the difficulty of raising money destroy your morale, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.” ~ Paul Graham
90. “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” ~ Karen Lamb
91. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” ~ Michael Jordan
92. “Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week, to avoid working 40 hours a week.” ~ Lori Greiner
93. “Having a great startup pitch has more to do with setting up and running a great company than optimizing some type of sales process to investors. Great investors can see through most tactics that you will use in the pitch process, so the best fundraising strategy is to build a great company.” ~ Ken Howery
94. “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” ~ Ellen Johnson Sirleaf95. “Believe in your dreams and dream big. And then after you’ve done that, dream bigger.” ~ Howard Schultz
95. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
96. “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” ~ Bill Gates.
Ultimate Startup Quotes
97. “Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” ~ Henry Ford
98. “The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” ~ Walt Disney
99. “Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.” ~ Ann Landers
100. “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Will Rogers
101. “Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.” ~ Robert Orben.
102. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” ~ Babe Ruth
103. “Always deliver more than expected.” ~ Larry Page
104. “I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.” ~ Elon Musk
105. “You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for.” ~ Ted Turner
106. “Customers don’t care about your solution. They care about their problems.” ~ Dave McClure.
107. “Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once.” ~ Drew Houston.
You Might Like
- Yuri Gagarin Quotes
- Memories Quotes
- Leadership Quotes
- Habit Quotes
- Money Quotes
- Hard Work Quotes
- Forgiveness Quotes
- Motivational Quotes
- Success Quotes
- Positive Quotes
References and Sources:
- 50 Inspirational Quotes For Startups And Entrepreneurs – Forbes
- 101 Inspirational Quotes For Startups – Drop Desk
- 11 Inspirational Startup Quotes – StartupXs
Understanding Startups
A startup is a new business in its early stages, primarily founded by entrepreneurs aiming to bring a unique product or service to market.
Initially funded by the founders, startups often face high initial costs with little revenue.
To advance, they seek various funding sources such as family and friends, venture capitalists, and loans.
Despite the risks of failure, startups offer dynamic work environments with significant learning and growth opportunities.
Key Challenges and Strategies
Startups need to tackle several challenges to stabilize and grow. Location choice, whether online or physical, greatly affects their operation and accessibility.
Additionally, choosing the right legal structure, such as LLCs or partnerships, can protect owners from personal liabilities.
Early years are critical as startups need to establish a solid business model, secure sufficient funding, and refine their market strategy to ensure sustainability.
Funding Mechanisms
To cover operational costs and development, startups typically turn to various funding options.
This includes reaching out to personal networks, engaging venture capitalists, or utilizing crowdfunding platforms.
Additionally, startups might apply for credit lines or small business loans, which require a comprehensive business plan to demonstrate their viability and future potential.
Working in a Startup
Working for a startup offers numerous advantages like greater responsibility, a relaxed atmosphere, and flexible working hours.
Employees often benefit from generous perks like free meals or childcare.
However, the startup environment also comes with challenges such as high stress due to long hours, the constant need for capital, and intense competition.
Valuation and Growth
Valuing a startup can be complex as it often lacks an established financial history.
Methods like cost duplication, market multiples, or discounted cash flows are commonly used.
For those looking to start their own company, the process involves ideation, market research, and creating a detailed business plan.
Obtaining funding and navigating legal frameworks are also critical before launching operations and attracting customers.
Top Questions about Startups
A: A startup business is a new company created to fill a specific demand in the market. It aims to grow quickly by offering innovative solutions or services that meet the needs of a particular market niche.
A: A startup owner, often referred to as a founder, is an individual who develops an idea into a business. This person, along with any partners, lays the foundation of the company before expanding the team. They are entrepreneurs who start businesses to generate income and drive innovation.
A: A startup is usually a small, new business known for its speed, growth potential, and innovative approach. In contrast, an established company is typically a larger, more mature organization known for its stability, established corporate culture, and long track record of success.
A: The main goal of a startup is to innovate and grow rapidly by providing new solutions or services. Additionally, startups often aim to foster industry-academia partnerships, benefit from incubation programs, simplify business processes, and receive funding support and incentives.
