Sarah Lacy Quotes

Powerful Sarah Lacy for Daily Growth

About Sarah Lacy

Sarah Lacy is an American entrepreneur, journalist, and best-selling author known for her insights on technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Born in 1978, she grew up in Colorado, where her passion for storytelling and business was ignited at a young age. Lacy began her career as a reporter for BusinessWeek, covering the tech industry from Silicon Valley. In 2006, she co-founded the technology news website, TechCrunch, serving as its editor-in-chief until 2011. During this time, Lacy established herself as a key voice in the tech community, interviewing influential figures such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. In 2014, Lacy published her first book, "Extreme Startups: Why Kids Entrepreneurs Are Taking Over the World." The book explores the growing trend of young entrepreneurs and provides insights into their success stories. Her second book, "Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good: The Rebirth of Silicon Valley and the Rise of Entrepreneurship," was published in 2016. This work delves into the resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit in Silicon Valley and offers practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Lacy currently serves as the founder and CEO of Level, a women's leadership platform that aims to accelerate the careers of female professionals. She is also the host of "The Pitch," a TV show on HBO where early-stage startups compete for investment. Lacy's work continues to inspire and educate people around the world about entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation. Her journalistic endeavors have made her a prominent figure in these fields, and her books serve as valuable resources for those seeking to make their mark in business.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Fear is a great motivator and so is love. If we didn't have these two primary emotions, we wouldn't get very much done."

This quote suggests that both fear and love serve as powerful motivators in driving human action and accomplishment. Fear can push us to take action to avoid potential negative consequences, while love can inspire us to strive for positive outcomes or the success of others. The implication is that these emotions play crucial roles in our productivity and ability to achieve goals.


"The best entrepreneurs are the ones who see a problem and say, 'That's mine,' and then go out and do something about it."

This quote emphasizes that successful entrepreneurs identify problems in the world, claim ownership of those issues, and take proactive steps to solve them. It suggests that the best entrepreneurs possess a unique blend of vision, determination, and action, seeing opportunities where others may only see obstacles. Their mindset is one of taking responsibility for making positive change rather than passively observing or complaining about problems.


"In every great entrepreneur, there is a bit of a dreamer – someone who isn't afraid to think big or challenge the status quo."

This quote suggests that successful entrepreneurs possess both practicality (as shown in their drive to act on ideas) and creativity (dreaming big). They are individuals who aren't deterred by conventional wisdom, instead choosing to question and reshape the norms as they strive for innovation. The essence of entrepreneurship lies in thinking beyond the ordinary while having the courage to execute these audacious thoughts.


"Successful people are not lucky. They are self-reliant, hardworking, and resourceful."

This quote emphasizes that successful individuals are not merely fortunate; rather, they are characterized by self-reliance, diligence, and resourcefulness. The underlying message is that success comes from personal qualities such as independence, determination, and adaptability, rather than relying on luck or external circumstances alone. In other words, those who achieve their goals take responsibility for their lives, consistently work towards their aspirations, and find creative solutions to overcome obstacles along the way.


"It takes courage to chase the unknown, but there are whole worlds out there waiting for brave minds to find them."

This quote emphasizes the importance of courage in exploring new territories, both literal and metaphorical. It encourages individuals to step outside their comfort zones, face uncertainty, and venture into uncharted waters. By doing so, they unlock hidden worlds that are waiting for those with the bravery to discover them. The message is one of adventure, curiosity, and the belief that boldness often leads to significant rewards.


A lot of Americans desperately want to believe that China is full of poor people who can't innovate, and the only goods they make are cheap, toxic rip-offs our Western brands. They want to believe the only reason the Chinese economy is surging is because the West wants cheap goods and China knows how to make them that way.

- Sarah Lacy

Believe, Reason, Goods, Brands

Everything about Mark Zuckerberg is pure hacker. Hackers don't take realities of the world for granted; they seek to break and rebuild what they don't like. They seek to outsmart the world.

- Sarah Lacy

Like, Break, Rebuild, None

If Mark Zuckerberg doesn't understand something, it's not defeat. It's not even something he has to accept. It's merely a challenge he needs to engineer his way out of, and that includes human emotions and relationships.

- Sarah Lacy

Defeat, Relationships, Out, None

Few people would doubt that Mark Zuckerberg would build a great product. But I, at least, would never have expected him to become so great at hiring, motivating, managing, and ultimately getting whatever it is his company needs from people.

- Sarah Lacy

Him, Hiring, Least, None

As smartphones have allowed us to have our computers, emails, social media feeds, and a full surveillance system in our pockets at all times, stories of the law enforcement's unease with that have been popping up in the press. And of course, the ones that become viral videos aren't exactly flattering for law enforcement.

- Sarah Lacy

Been, Popping, Allowed, Pockets

For all the billions of dollars created here, Silicon Valley is remarkably stingy when it comes to giving.

- Sarah Lacy

Here, Billions, Created, Remarkably

Like patents - which also seek to protect the little guy - unions were started for all the right reasons. But like patents, they can be twisted into something that hurts innovation, competition, and ultimately consumers and the country as a whole.

- Sarah Lacy

Country, Guy, Reasons, Right Reasons

The best entrepreneurs know when to ignore sage advice.

- Sarah Lacy

Advice, Know, Entrepreneurs, Sage

Lesson to would-be fame seekers: It's not really a new world when it comes to celebrity. There are no shortcuts. It's still talent, perseverance and hard work. Even the speed and reach of the Net can't create lasting value and income overnight.

- Sarah Lacy

Celebrity, Reach, Income, New World

It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it. For the entrepreneur? Not so much. Hitherto unknown relatives, entrepreneurs seeking angel investments, money managers and supposed baby-mamas all come out of the woodwork with dollar signs in their eyes.

- Sarah Lacy

Tell, About, Entrepreneurs, Relatives

Unions inherently create an 'us versus them' dynamic that makes winning against a company's management the top goal, not serving customers, innovating, or in the case of education, teaching kids.

- Sarah Lacy

Education, Goal, Unions, Versus

I don't care if Facebook's valuation goes to one gillion. It can go so high we have to make up numbers. It is still not a bubble because there is still not another Facebook in the pipeline.

- Sarah Lacy

Facebook, Goes, Still, Pipeline

I've been reading a lot about Silicon Valley history recently and was struck by just how core the lack of unions has been to the American tech industry's evolution. It's enabled the constant creative destruction that keeps Silicon Valley relevant and thriving in a rapidly changing world.

- Sarah Lacy

Been, Constant, Thriving, Struck

Dying venture firms are like the walking dead. They can have years of staggering around with stakes in still active portfolio companies, hoping they're still holding a lottery ticket that could put them back in the game. If not, they just slowly wind down.

- Sarah Lacy

Game, Dead, Back, Wind

The one thing I didn't do that was kind of controversial was go work for a daily paper, because I didn't like that kind of journalism, and I'm glad I didn't because that's the business model that's going totally extinct.

- Sarah Lacy

Business, Like, Going, Controversial

I think everyone has their own style in journalism. Look, I'm a girl from the South! Sometimes I laugh. Someone can pejoratively call it giggling. But if you look at the body of my work, I ask lots of hard questions and break a lot of hard news.

- Sarah Lacy

Own, I Think, South, Journalism

I am a huge fan of using social media to connect with people because I think there was this 'ivory tower' aspect of journalism where people might read a byline for years but have no idea about the person who was behind it and never get to communicate with them or ask them a question.

- Sarah Lacy

Behind, Communicate, I Think, Journalism

The thought for a long time was that banks needed to be too controlled, too regulated to be turned over to the Wild West of the Net. Then the credit meltdown hit, and we saw just how reckless these so-called safe and regulated institutions were.

- Sarah Lacy

Thought, Needed, Turned, Meltdown

It's almost a cliche that great Silicon Valley entrepreneurs don't go sit on a beach when they make a lot of money; they get back to work building another company or at least investing in other people's companies.

- Sarah Lacy

Other, Almost, Entrepreneurs, Investing

It's happening: Lou Dobbs' dream come true and Silicon Valley's worst nightmare. We're already seeing the reverse brain drain as smart immigrants take their U.S. educations and experience building companies and creating technology back to their home countries.

- Sarah Lacy

Experience, Back, Drain, Educations

I always want to have San Francisco as my home and my base. I'm a business reporter - that's what I do and what I enjoy - and I don't know another place on the planet that would be as fascinating to cover.

- Sarah Lacy

Always, Francisco, San, Base

One of the great ironies of the social media era is that some of the least social people in the world created it.

- Sarah Lacy

World, Some, Social, Social Media

As I've written before, China's ability to be the assembly line to the world wasn't where its role in the global economy ended; it was where it began. An ability to make products cheaper than anywhere else gave way to an ability to make high end products more nimbly than anywhere else.

- Sarah Lacy

Role, Cheaper, Before, Assembly Line

One of the nice things about being a private company is operating without the intensity of public glare. It's hard to grow a company under a microscope of constant second guessing.

- Sarah Lacy

Grow, Private, Constant, Glare

Being in Silicon Valley is like playing for the Yankees. You get knocked around more than anywhere else, the glare of the media spotlight is more brutal, and the expectations are higher than they'd be in any other city.

- Sarah Lacy

City, Other, Silicon Valley, Glare

You know what works in venture capital? A group of incredibly smart, connected people who have the financial wherewithal and risk appetite to make multi-million dollar bets on unproven ideas and inexperienced founders. People who can make decisions quickly, and who spend their time trying to help entrepreneurs make the most of that cash.

- Sarah Lacy

Capital, Inexperienced, Wherewithal

My husband and I own half a dozen iPods, a Mac desktop, and four Mac laptops. We're clearly fans of Mr. Jobs' work.

- Sarah Lacy

Work, Half, Mr, Desktop

The roots of Silicon Valley are full of stories of immigrants and minority groups who experienced bigotry and made it anyway. Why should women be any different?

- Sarah Lacy

Made, Stories, Groups, Minority

The biggest barrier to starting a company isn't ideas, funding or experience. It's excuses.

- Sarah Lacy

Funding, Barrier, Biggest, Excuses

Get a lawyer to look at your contract or beware. Because no company - evil or not - is going to do it for you.

- Sarah Lacy

Beware, Going, Get, Lawyer

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