As I approach my fourth year of grinding it out in a startup biotech, I thought I would collect my favorite quotations of startups and productivity. As I read more about business and startups I keep finding new quotes that encapsulate the feeling of a startup, so I hope to add to this list as time goes on.

Move fast and break things. (attributed to Facebook, and humorously depicted on XKCD).

“A ‘startup’ is a company confused about: 1. what its product is, 2. who its customers are, 3. how to make money.” – Dave McClure of 500 Startups.

“The reality is, Silicon Valley capitalism is very simple:
Investors are people with more money than time.
Employees are people with more time than money.
Entrepreneurs are the seductive go-between.
Marketing is like sex: only losers pay for it.” – Antonio Garcia Martinez in Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley.

Done is better than perfect. (described as a Facebook slogan in Chaos Monkeys).

A good idea on Monday is better than a great idea on Friday. (not sure where I heard this one).

Build. Measure. Learn. (repeat).  – Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

Startups are an odd creature that I am still working on taming (assuming you can tame it!). The energy and speed are addictive, and despite all of the struggles, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

-BZ