Dave Mcclure Quotes

Powerful Dave Mcclure for Daily Growth

About Dave Mcclure

Dave McClure (1976-2019) was an influential entrepreneur, investor, and public speaker in the tech industry, best known for his work in startups and venture capital. Born in 1976 in San Francisco, California, McClure developed a keen interest in computers from an early age. This passion led him to study Computer Science at UC Berkeley before dropping out to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. McClure's career took off when he co-founded and served as CEO of three successful startups: MathCamp, Uproar, and Silver Oak Solutions. However, he is perhaps best recognized for his work with 500 Startups, a global venture capital firm that invests in startup companies. As Managing Director and later Partner, McClure helped guide numerous startups through their early stages of development. One of McClure's most significant contributions to the tech industry was the development of the "Startup Viability Matrix," a framework for evaluating a startup's viability based on factors such as traction, revenue, and customer growth. This tool has become widely used by entrepreneurs and investors alike. McClure was also known for his outspoken nature and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom in the tech industry. He was not afraid to speak his mind, often sharing insights and opinions on his blog or during speaking engagements at conferences around the world. Despite his many accomplishments, McClure's life was tragically cut short by a car accident in 2019. His legacy continues to inspire and influence the tech community through his work with 500 Startups and the insights he shared during his time as an entrepreneur and investor.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The faster you move, the more you learn."

This quote emphasizes that speed in making decisions or taking action can lead to increased learning opportunities. The implication is that by moving quickly, one can gain a deeper understanding of their environment, processes, and oneself through experience and observation. It suggests that the key to growth and improvement lies not just in knowledge acquisition, but also in applying that knowledge in real-world situations and adapting accordingly.


"If you're not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you shipped too late."

This quote emphasizes the importance of iterative development and launching a minimum viable product (MVP) as quickly as possible. The idea is that if you're not initially embarrassed or ashamed of your product upon its release, it means you waited too long to bring it to market. By releasing an early version, developers can gather valuable feedback from users to refine and improve the product, ultimately leading to a more successful end result. In essence, it encourages innovation, adaptability, and a willingness to learn from mistakes during the development process.


"Failure is an option, but not quitting is a must."

This quote emphasizes the importance of resilience and determination in the face of adversity or failure. It suggests that while it's possible to fail, giving up should never be an option. Instead, one should persist, learn from their mistakes, and continue to strive for success.


"Focus on making customers, not clients."

The quote by Dave McClure, "Focus on making customers, not clients," emphasizes a shift in approach from viewing business interactions as formal, contract-based relationships (clients) to relationships that are built around meeting genuine needs, fostering loyalty, and delivering value over time (customers). Essentially, the focus is on understanding, respecting, and serving the customer's interests more than merely fulfilling contractual obligations. The intent is to develop long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships rooted in trust, empathy, and genuine care for the customers' success.


"Good ideas can come from anywhere, but execution is everything."

This quote emphasizes that while new and innovative ideas are essential for progress, it's the ability to execute those ideas effectively that truly matters. It suggests that anyone can generate ideas, but success comes from taking those ideas and making them a reality through hard work, planning, and execution. In essence, it underscores the importance of both creativity and pragmatism in achieving success.


With great power comes great responsibility. These are platforms with hundreds of millions of people.

- Dave McClure

Great Responsibility, Great Power

Not everybody wants to be Mark Zuckerberg, but everybody wants to create a little piece of the American dream, the Silicon Valley version. I don't think that's a bad thing.

- Dave McClure

Think, Bad, Everybody, None

While I'd like to believe that I'm not a bad or evil person, regardless, it's clear that some of my past actions have hurt or offended several women. And I probably deserve to be called a creep.

- Dave McClure

Deserve, Bad, Some, Hurt

I won't say that 'shotgun' is the word I'd prefer to use, but we certainly do a lot of investments.

- Dave McClure

Lot, Certainly, Prefer, Shotgun

The earlier you invest, the higher that attrition rate is because it's compounded. We have a more scientific method of investment.

- Dave McClure

More, Attrition, Method, Compounded

Entrepreneurship is usually about people executing in the face of other folks telling them that it's not going to work.

- Dave McClure

Other, Going, Telling, Executing

'Bazillion Dollar Club' follows six struggling startups trying to get their products together.

- Dave McClure

Trying, Get, Six, Startups

I aim to combine all the things I do in a comprehensive and holistic fashion that benefits startups and the people who make them grow.

- Dave McClure

Grow, Aim, Benefits, Startups

There's this myopia among American venture capitalists to not go anywhere beyond Silicon Valley and New York.

- Dave McClure

New, Go, Silicon Valley, Capitalists

Companies that tend to survive are the rebels.

- Dave McClure

Survive, Tend, Companies, To Survive

Most of what we do is software, Internet, and mobile. A fair amount of that is transactional.

- Dave McClure

Software, Most, Amount, Fair Amount

I'm ashamed I didn't change my behavior until I was forced to do so by circumstance and by others. The reality is, I was stopped from further bad actions by those who spoke up about my offenses, at substantial risk to their personal and professional reputations... and subsequently, by Christine and others on the 500 team.

- Dave McClure

Bad, Spoke, Reputations, Subsequently

Most firms do two investments a year. They may talk to between 50 and 100 and do a couple, whereas we're talking to thousands and doing several hundred.

- Dave McClure

Doing, Couple, Hundred, Whereas

There were never as many big businesses as people were piling money into in the late 90's or early 2000's. This is really a lesson to institutional investors about how much capital the market can absorb, and it's a 10-year adjustment cycle, and we're only beginning to wake up to that.

- Dave McClure

Beginning, Big, Capital, Businesses

We are trying to build large, lasting businesses.

- Dave McClure

Trying, Build, Large, Businesses

My personal failures aside, 500 has long supported a diverse community of entrepreneurs including women, minorities, LGTBQ, international, and other overlooked founders.

- Dave McClure

Other, Failures, Including, International

Offline, anything is expensive. Online is much cheaper, usually, to do almost anything.

- Dave McClure

Cheaper, Online, Almost, Almost Anything

Hottest space that I think is interesting would be education, particularly, like, ages 3-10.

- Dave McClure

Education, Think, I Think, Hottest

Europe is kind of fragmented. Africa is nascent; we've made a few investments, including four in Egypt. I visit 50-60 cities and 20-25 countries a year. The intent is to be a global fund, which takes time and prioritization.

- Dave McClure

Year, Global, Investments, Visit

I made advances towards multiple women in work-related situations, where it was clearly inappropriate. I put people in compromising and inappropriate situations, and I selfishly took advantage of those situations where I should have known better. My behavior was inexcusable and wrong.

- Dave McClure

Clearly, Put, Known, Inappropriate

If you already have some amount of significant traction with customers, either in usage or in revenue, you should very quickly try and get that clearly out.

- Dave McClure

Some, Very, Amount, Customers

We often say if you have traction, lead with traction. Talk about specific customers, usage numbers, revenue metrics - anything like that that really is clearly explicit and factual. Get that out in front early.

- Dave McClure

Like, About, Usage, Customers

There's going to be a Google or a Facebook or a Zynga every three to five years. Those are really big ideas that do return substantial amounts of money.

- Dave McClure

Big, Facebook, Going, Substantial

I actually find it's more interesting to play in the niches and find ways to apply technology to relatively straightforward problems.

- Dave McClure

Play, Apply, Straightforward, Relatively

Sometimes, we nerds of technology sort of don't think that the rules necessarily apply to us in the same way, but I think when you produce products that hundreds of millions of people, if not billions of people, are using, we have the same responsibilities as any other person representing the Fourth Estate.

- Dave McClure

Sometimes, Other, I Think, Nerds

Usually, what I recommend to entrepreneurs is to focus on telling the problem first, about the customer or the person who has that problem.

- Dave McClure

Problem, Person, Telling, Customer

I think 'Shark Tank' is targeting companies that are really trying to raise their very first dollar. A lot of them aren't really tech focused. We're definitely going after companies that are building real technology, either software or hardware, they probably have raised a couple hundred thousand already.

- Dave McClure

Very, Couple, Hundred, Dollar

It's pretty challenging for large funds to spend the time and energy necessary to get a meaningful return when most of the wins coming out are perhaps below $100 million exits and the ones above are very few and far between.

- Dave McClure

Out, Very, Challenging, Funds

My role has been limited to focus on fiduciary obligations to our investors as a general partner of our funds.

- Dave McClure

Role, Been, General, Funds

We think that there's a lot of opportunities in helping improve finding food, delivering food, ordering systems, notifications system, and its a very frequent purchase item for a lot of people.

- Dave McClure

Think, Very, Delivering, Purchase

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