Dave Goldberg Quotes

Powerful Dave Goldberg for Daily Growth

About Dave Goldberg

Dave Goldberg, born on October 24, 1967, was an American technology executive and philanthropist, best known as the CEO of SurveyMonkey from 2005 until his untimely death in 2015. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Goldberg attended Harvard College where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in applied mathematics. He later earned an MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. His early career was marked by stints at Intel and Yahoo!, where he worked under the tutelage of Jerry Yang and David Filo. In 1998, Goldberg co-founded Yammer, a business-oriented social networking platform, which was later acquired by Microsoft in 2012 for $1.2 billion. His leadership at SurveyMonkey saw the company grow from a small startup to a global market research firm used by over 3 million active users worldwide. Goldberg was not just a successful businessman but also a passionate philanthropist. He served on the boards of various non-profit organizations, including the Aspen Institute and the Foundation for Jewish Camp. His life and work were characterized by a unique blend of technological innovation, strategic leadership, and social responsibility. Goldberg passed away in 2015 at the age of 47, leaving behind his wife, Sheryl Sandberg, who is currently the COO of Facebook. His legacy continues to inspire through the DGB (Dave Goldberg) Scholarship Fund, which supports graduate students studying business, computer science, or education at Stanford University.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The goal is not to live forever, but to create something that will."

This quote by Dave Goldberg emphasizes the importance of creating or leaving a lasting impact rather than merely prolonging one's existence. It suggests that our purpose in life goes beyond personal survival, encouraging us instead to focus on producing meaningful work or contributions that outlive us. In essence, it is a call to action to create something significant and enduring - whether it be ideas, art, businesses, relationships, or any other form of legacy - that transcends the boundaries of our mortal lives.


"Embrace what you don't know, especially when it challenges what you do know."

This quote by Dave Goldberg encourages an open-minded approach to learning and growth. It suggests that we should not be deterred or threatened by things we do not understand, but rather view them as opportunities for expansion of knowledge and perspective. By challenging our current understanding, we can foster a more comprehensive worldview and become better equipped to navigate the complexities of life. Embracing the unknown is essential in personal development, promoting adaptability, resilience, and wisdom.


"The most important thing is to work on something that's meaningful to you."

This quote underscores the significance of dedicating one's time and effort towards a purpose or project that holds personal value and meaning. It suggests that finding fulfillment in life often stems from engaging in activities that resonate with our passions, interests, and beliefs. By doing so, not only do we maximize our potential for success and happiness, but also contribute positively to the world around us. In essence, Goldberg's quote encourages individuals to pursue personal growth by aligning their actions with their deeply held values and aspirations.


"In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take."

This quote by Dave Goldberg emphasizes the importance of taking risks in life. It suggests that when looking back at our lives, we are more likely to feel regret over missed opportunities and unexplored paths, rather than those chances taken. The underlying message is a call to action, encouraging individuals to step out of their comfort zones, embrace change, and seize opportunities in order to live life to the fullest and minimize potential feelings of regret in the future.


"Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world." (This quote was attributed to Dave Goldberg by Sheryl Sandberg, his wife, in her book "Option B")

This quote by Dave Goldberg as interpreted by Sheryl Sandberg emphasizes that success is not merely about personal achievement or high social status, but rather about making a positive impact on the world. It suggests that true success lies in using one's abilities and resources to better the lives of others, thus creating meaningful and lasting change in society. In other words, it's about leaving a legacy of kindness, empathy, and progress for future generations.


We saw that our customers required help beyond the data sets they had and that they could benefit from a wider opinion. So we built SurveyMonkey Audience, and we've now got 4 million users who signed up to take surveys. Our clients can choose the demographic they want to hear from, and we can provide that sample.

- Dave Goldberg

Data, Clients, Wider, Sample

My closest adviser is my wife. It's nice to have one of the smartest people in business as your life partner, and someone you have dinner with and breakfast with.

- Dave Goldberg

Business, Wife, Your, Closest

'Cosmopolitan' used to publish five covers across the U.S. so that if one was unpopular, it wouldn't tank their entire sales.

- Dave Goldberg

Sales, Used, Entire, Unpopular

If you're an entrepreneur and you're starting a company, I think the first thing you do is you go and talk to a bunch of people. But then the next thing you probably should do is figure out if there's a broader demand than just people you know. That's where I think SurveyMonkey is pretty valuable to people.

- Dave Goldberg

Next, Out, I Think, Broader

I run the largest survey company in the world. It just so happens to be the second-largest company run by someone in my house.

- Dave Goldberg

Run, House, Largest, Survey

Things are bad in 2001 at Yahoo. There's been layoffs, restructuring, lots of people left.

- Dave Goldberg

Bad, Been, Lots, Layoffs

I just find that people can waste a lot of time in meetings, so I try to restrict meetings to the minimum that they need to be. But I have lots of time in my day where I am available to have informal conversations, where I grab someone to talk, and people can just walk up to my desk and talk to me.

- Dave Goldberg

Available, Restrict, Lot, Grab

You want to hire great people and give them the opportunity to fail. You need to let them figure things out as they go along. If they fail repeatedly, then you probably have to find a different person, but if you don't let people have that opportunity to fail, they don't get to learn and grow and try things.

- Dave Goldberg

Hire, Out, Along, Great People

I think Salesforce, going public very early on before they were profitable, it made a lot of sense for them because it got customers comfortable that these guys were going to have capital and be transparent about their business.

- Dave Goldberg

I Think, Very, Capital, Customers

Outlets are turning away from phone polling, which can be problematic. For example, we did a poll for NBC around the Ebola crisis; we provided results in 24 hours. Their traditional phone poll would have taken a week to turn around. We're showing people we can do high-quality work: we've proved that with the work we do with the media.

- Dave Goldberg

Week, Away, Provided, Polling

One of the most talented, smartest people happens to be my wife, so I can get great advice from her. She obviously knows me incredibly well and what I'm going through. I don't know that I've been as helpful to her as she has been to me.

- Dave Goldberg

Advice, Through, Been, Helpful

I want to go public because I have the right reason to go public - because the benefits outweigh the costs.

- Dave Goldberg

Reason, Benefits, Costs, Right Reason

Sometimes the things you decide not to do are actually the biggest things to do in your career.

- Dave Goldberg

Career, Actually, Biggest, Biggest Things

I save everything up until Sunday night because if I start sending emails on Saturday afternoon, then people have to start responding to me on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

- Dave Goldberg

Saturday, Sunday Morning, Sending

The NBC using us on air is a great endorsement of quality.

- Dave Goldberg

Air, Endorsement, Using, NBC

I made my kids into Viking fans, so they will carry their misery with them, too. A little disappointment in life goes a long way.

- Dave Goldberg

Will, Goes, Made, Long Way

Most of what we've done at SurveyMonkey is create a market, which I would say is much harder than trying to enter a market that already exists. But if you get it right, it can become a great business.

- Dave Goldberg

Great Business, Than, Would, Enter

I go home, I have dinner with my wife and kids, and after my kids go to bed, I'm back online doing stuff.

- Dave Goldberg

Doing, Bed, Go Home, Dinner

When you're friends with someone, you can't just go out to dinner and say 'O.K., now this is a date.' You've got to do something very different.

- Dave Goldberg

Go, Date, Very, Dinner

I am at home with my kids from 6 to 8. If I have a work dinner, I'll schedule to have dinner after 8. But we're working at night. You'll get plenty of emails from me post-8 P.M. when my kids go to bed.

- Dave Goldberg

Bed, Get, Emails, Dinner

I really like the mission at SurveyMonkey, which is, we help people make better decisions. It's just a great thing.

- Dave Goldberg

People, Like, Which, Help People

If you use your old business models to restrict people, they're going to find ways to get that content the way they want it.

- Dave Goldberg

Business, Going, Models, Restrict

In general, you don't want competitors to understand your business outside of telling people your revenue and profitability numbers.

- Dave Goldberg

Want, Profitability, Telling, Revenue

I started my business with my best friend from high school.

- Dave Goldberg

Business, School, High, Best Friend

For me, going home at 5:30 is as much about my own choices, but also giving my team those choices, too.

- Dave Goldberg

Own, My Own, Going, Giving

There's not a whole lot of advantage for a company to be public.

- Dave Goldberg

Public, Lot, Whole, Advantage

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