Georges Doriot Quotes

“Without action, the world would still be an idea.”

“The entrepreneur is the only man who can take two sticks and make fire. Everyone else needs matches.”

“I am not interested in making a fast buck. I am interested in building companies that will last for fifty years or more.”

“Someone, somewhere, is making a product that will make your product obsolete.”

“The real reward of being a venture capitalist is being able to say 'I helped build this company.'”

“Always consider investing in a grade A man with a grade B idea. Never invest in a grade B man with a grade A idea.”

“A startup is a company that is confused about what its product is, who its customers are, and how to make money.”

“The venture capitalist's job is to take the risk out of adventure and put the adventure back into business.”

“You must have the courage to bet on your judgment. You must have the courage to bet on the people you select.”

“Creative capital is patient capital. It waits for the right moment and the right opportunity.”

“The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”

“A company is known by the people it keeps.”

“In venture capital, you are not just investing in a company; you are investing in the future.”

“The key to successful investing is not predicting the future, but preparing for it.”

“Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. It is the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.”

“[Competition](/mental-models/competition) brings out the best in products and the worst in people.”

“The successful entrepreneur is one who can live with uncertainty and still make decisions.”

“In business, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”

“The most dangerous moment for a company is when it stops being paranoid about its competition.”

“A business plan is a document that tells you what you don't know about your business.”