LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, whose real-time net worth is $2.7 billion according to Forbes, believes the entrepreneurial instinct is part of human nature, rooted in a basic desire to create, not just an ambition to start a business.
Quote of the Day by Reid Hoffman: “All people are entrepreneurs not because they should start companies, but because the will to create is encoded in the human DNA.
What does this quote mean?
This quote emphasizes that all people have an entrepreneurial spirit, driven by an innate desire to create. According to Reid Hoffman, everyone has an entrepreneurial drive, which is essentially more about creativity than just trying to start a company.
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A quote mentioned in “The Startup of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career” underscores that every person is born with a natural desire to create their own path.
How is this quote relevant today?
This philosophy emphasizes that the human drive to create, innovate, and take control of one’s destiny is an innate, “hard-coded” trait, rather than just a professional drive to start a business. The proposition that the spirit of entrepreneurship is not limited to the founding of a company, but is defined by creativity and initiative in everyday life—whether through art, ideas, or problem solving—is fundamental to being human.
More about Reid Hoffman
Born in August 1967 in Palo Alto, California, Hoffman was one year old when his parents separated. He initially worked as an editor at the game company Chaosium.
The billionaire, who co-founded professional networking site LinkedIn in 2003, is a partner at venture capital firm Greylock Partners. Reid Hoffman, chairman of one of the oldest venture capital firms, Village Global, is the co-founder of Inflection AI, co-founder of Manas AI, and board member of the Arc Institute.
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Reid Hoffman joined the Microsoft board in 2016 after selling LinkedIn for $26.2 billion. Reid Hoffman, investor in Airbnb and pioneer of Aurora autonomous driving, is part of the so-called “PayPal Mafia”, whose founders and employees are Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. A prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist created the SocialNet dating site before PayPal, which failed but is considered by some to be the first online social network.
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The 58-year-old is known for his philanthropic work, which focuses on areas such as technology for social good, the ethics of artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. He has invested more than $1.5 billion in impact investments through charitable entities such as donor-advised funds.
A stronger quote from Reid Hoffman
“Before you start dreaming about the future or marking your plans, you need to articulate what you already have, as entrepreneurs do.”
“The fastest way to change is to meet people who are already what you want to be.”
“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy is, if you play a solo game, you will always lose to the team.”
“You jump off a cliff and build a plane on the way down.
“If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”
