Ryan Bethencourt Quotes

Powerful Ryan Bethencourt for Daily Growth

About Ryan Bethencourt

Ryan Bethencourt, a celebrated American scientist, entrepreneur, and futurist, was born on March 16, 1984, in San Francisco, California. His fascination with biotechnology and synthetic biology began early, nurtured by his parents' encouragement to explore science and technology. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Bethencourt is renowned for his work in synthetic biology, particularly his role as the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Genspace Biotechnology Lab, one of the world's first community biolabs, and BioCurious, a nonprofit community lab focused on making the tools of modern biology accessible to everyone. His work in these organizations has made significant strides in democratizing biotech education and research. In 2013, he co-authored "DIY Genetics: The Future Belongs To Those Who Make It," a book that serves as a guide for DIY biologists and enthusiasts alike. The book encourages readers to take control of their own genetic destiny by learning the basics of synthetic biology and doing experiments at home. Bethencourt's influence extends beyond his direct work, as he has been a driving force in shaping public policy related to biotechnology and bioethics. He is known for his thoughtful and forward-thinking perspectives on the societal implications of these rapidly evolving fields. His TED Talks, including "Synthetic Biology: Playing God with Genes" and "Why We Need to Make Biotech Accessible," have garnered thousands of views and sparked important conversations about the future of biotechnology. As a testament to his impact on the field, Bethencourt was named one of MIT Technology Review's "Top 35 Innovators Under 35" in 2012. His passion for making science accessible to all continues to inspire and drive change in the world of biotechnology.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The future is now. It's not something we're working towards; it's something we're creating."

The quote implies that the future isn't a distant, unattainable concept but rather an ongoing process in the present moment. We are actively shaping the future through our actions and decisions today. In other words, the future doesn't just happen to us; we make it happen. This perspective encourages proactivity, innovation, and responsibility for our actions, as they all contribute to the world we are creating day by day.


"Every great achievement was once considered impossible."

This quote highlights the idea that historic accomplishments, which we now consider great achievements, were initially perceived as impossible. It serves as a reminder that the limits of human potential are often exceeded when people dare to challenge conventional wisdom and strive for the seemingly unattainable. The quote motivates us to view our own challenges not as insurmountable obstacles but as opportunities for growth and innovation.


"Dream big, start small, and move fast."

The quote "Dream big, start small, and move fast" by Ryan Bethencourt emphasizes the importance of setting ambitious goals while taking practical steps to achieve them. It suggests that one should have grand visions for their future (dream big), but instead of getting overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, they should break it down into smaller, manageable tasks (start small). Lastly, once the initial steps are taken, one should maintain a sense of urgency and swiftness in execution (move fast). This approach encourages progress without being overly daunted by the size of the goal.


"Believe in yourself, take risks, and never stop learning."

The quote encapsulates a mindset that encourages self-belief, risk-taking, and continuous education. Self-belief is essential for personal growth as it boosts confidence and resilience. Taking calculated risks enables us to expand our horizons, learn from failures, and achieve our potential. Lifelong learning is the key to adapting to a rapidly changing world, staying relevant, and making informed decisions. Together, these elements empower individuals to shape their destinies, overcome challenges, and lead fulfilling lives.


"Innovation is not about ideas; it's about making ideas happen."

This quote emphasizes that innovation goes beyond merely generating ideas; it involves implementing those ideas to bring them to fruition. In essence, anyone can think of innovative concepts, but it takes a special kind of determination, resourcefulness, and action to turn those ideas into tangible realities.


Biology, it's the technology which builds our world, and we can harness it to shift humanity from a scarcity to an abundance economy.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Biology, Which, Our World, Scarcity

Our world is built on biology and once we begin to understand it, it then becomes a technology.

- Ryan Bethencourt

World, Biology, Built, Our World

I imagine a day, some time in the not too distant future when children and teenagers will be able to create their own genetically engineered machines, cure the diseases of the old and find new ways to build and extend the capabilities of humanity, moving from programming software to programing the physical world, through biology.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Software, Through, Some, Biology

Simple genome engineering of bacteria and yeast is just the beginning of the rise of the true biohackers. This is a community of several thousand people, with skill sets ranging from self-taught software hackers to biology postdocs who are impatient with the structure of traditional institutional lab work.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Beginning, Bacteria, Several, Biology

Biohackers want to tinker; do fun science; and, in the process, accelerate the pace of biotech innovation.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Innovation, Process, Want, Tinker

We're finally moving out of the realm of solely discussing biology in regards to a drug-based world.

- Ryan Bethencourt

World, Biology, Discussing, Moving Out

Biology - DNA - is technology. It is coding. It is physical coding, but still code.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Biology, Code, Still, Coding

The success stories in biotechnology are mainly due to the straightforward application of design thinking in both the business and science aspects of our lean startups.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Straightforward, Stories, Startups

We'll continue to heal human bodies through biotechnology but we'll also increasingly feed, clothe and house the world through bioengineered systems. Ultimately, there's no reason why live animals should be used in any part of our food or goods chain and we're working to make that a reality.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Through, Increasingly, Heal

IndieBio's capital, facilities and deep mentoring by a network of biotech specific experts have the potential to spawn the Google's, Facebook's and Instagram's of biology.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Deep, Biology, Capital, Spawn

Biology is greener and, at scale, should be incredibly cost-effective: The cost of goods sold should be little more than the sugar water needed to brew almost anything.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Biology, Cost, Sold, Almost Anything

Since the beginning of civilization humans have altered our environment and its biology to allow our civilization to thrive - from domesticating plants and animals to building shelter and tools from living organisms.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Biology, Shelter, Allow, Thrive

We're starting to see a renaissance of investors embracing the idea that scientists can build businesses.

- Ryan Bethencourt

See, Build, Scientists, Embracing

I believe within five to 10 years most larger corporations will switch to greener industrial enzymes, not just for the environment but also for their bottom line.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Will, Within, Larger, Corporations

People wanted to do science outside of classical institutions like universities or big corporations, so we embraced it.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Big, Like, Classical, Corporations

Biohacking could literally change the world as we know it.

- Ryan Bethencourt

World, Could, Literally, Change The World

The potential for synthetic biology and biotechnology is vast; we all have an opportunity to create the future together.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Synthetic, Biotechnology, Together

When deciding whether to fund and build a company, we start from basic principles and because many of the businesses and products that our companies create are a complete novelty to us, them and the market, we have to do the math.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Products, Novelty, Our, Basic Principles

In the past, biology has been a backwater type of activity - a bunch of nerds in a lab. Now the sheer potential of biology to re-program our physical world is a new reality for everyone.

- Ryan Bethencourt

New, In The Past, Been, Nerds

We're at the beginning of the digitization and automation of biotech.

- Ryan Bethencourt

Beginning, Biotech, Automation

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