Passion and Perseverance
Curated Quotes from Ten Years of Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders
About
About the Book
Stanford's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders lecture series has been one of the most valuable learning experiences of my life. I've listened to every lecture of the past ten years (242 of them) and many of them more than once.
I was, and still am, in awe of the people that they had speak. They were of amazing caliber--truly people having an outsized impact on society--and each and every one of them brought something special. While they did offer plenty of actionable advice it was their stories that provided me inspiration to pursue entrepreneurship full time.
While the lectures most often are centered on business it is the lessons about working on something you are truly passionate about that inspired me most. That coupled with the idea that you can only fail if you stop trying is what led to the title of this collection.
I believe that people looking to start a business or people looking to grow their business will take the most out of the quotes included as that was where my mind was at while listening to them. But there is plenty of career and life advice included that anybody can benefit from hearing.
Everybody gets something different from talks which is why I recommend listening to them if you have the opportunity. If you don't have the time then Passion and Perseverance might help you find the lectures that interest you most.
I want to take a moment to thank Stanford University for providing this amazing lecture series on the Internet for all of us to enjoy, the professors that run it and everybody involved in its organization, and the speakers for generously donating their time so that the students of Stanford and all of us in Internet land can learn from them.
The book is broken up into ten sections (one for each year) with one chapter for each lecture. Most chapters are only a page or two long and contain the quotes that stood out most to me. Business topics covered include:
- Ideas
- Execution
- Hiring
- Sales
- Marketing
- Fundraising
- Strategy
- Scaling
- Motivation
- Negotiation
- Pricing
- Management
- Networking
Life topics include:
- Passion
- Perseverance
- Productivity
- Family
- Happiness
- Dreams
- Success
- Balance
"If you're not an interested person you're not an interesting person. Be interested in what is going on in the world (not just what is going on around you)." - Carol Bartz (Autodesk)
"The harder I work the luckier I get." - Tina Seelig (Stanford)
"Creativity loves constraint." - Marissa Mayer (Google)
"Culture is the most important part of any organization." - Ken Wilcox (Silicon Valley Bank)
"Try and fail but don't fail to try." - Vinod Khosla (Khosla Ventures)
"Be childlike as often as possible. Be childish as little as you can." - Tom Kelley (IDEO)
"There is no substitute for execution." - Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook)
"Great entrepreneurs don't have better ideas, they have better processes." - Eric Ries (Author)
"Make a dent in the universe." - David Heinemeier Hansson (37 Signals)
"If you're going to invest your life and time it had better be a crusade and not just a job." - William Hagstrom (Crescendo Bioscience)
"Be world class at whatever you do." - Ann Miura-Ko (Floodgate Fund)
"Learn from organizations where there is a constant drumbeat of innovation." - Aaron Levie (Box)
"Expect the unexpected and whenever possible be the unexpected." - Jack Dorsey (Square)
"Your best day is always in front of you." - Mark Forchette (OptiMedica)
"Conduct a premortem so you never conduct a postmortem." - Guy Kawasaki (Author)
"Innovation is the only sustainable competitive advantage any company can have." - David Friedberg (The Climate Corporation)
"Now is the best time in the history of the universe to start a company." - Phil Libin (Evernote)
"Create the life you want to create. You'll be better at creating the products you want to create." - Brad Feld (Foundry Group)
"People want to know you care before they care what you know." - Kristina Johnson (Enduring Energy)
"Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for. It is a thing to be achieved." - Jeff Church (Nika Water)
"Do what makes your soul sing." - John Lilly (Greylock)
"A-quality people hire other A-quality people and B-quality people hire C-quality people." - Cindy Padnos (Illuminate Ventures)
"You should never let a crisis go to waste." - Nassim Taleb (Author)
"Play the long game." - Sal Khan (Khan Academy)
"Close doors. You can't be one foot in and one foot out." - Linda Rottenberg (Endeavor)
"Vision is what you are not willing to change." - John Collison (Stripe)
"Solve a problem that you can imagine spending the rest of your life working on." - Joshua Reeves (ZenPayroll)
Packages
Pick Your Package
All packages include the ebook in the following formats: PDF, EPUB, and Web
The Book
Minimum price
Suggested price$9.99Free!
The Book + Highlighted Quotes + Startup Guide
Minimum price
Suggested price$14.99This package contains Passion and Perseverance, notes from How to Start a Startup, and highlighted quotes from ETL. Files contain .mobi, .epub, and .pdf versions of the books. All revenue net of platform fees goes to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Free!
- How to Start a StartupNotes from the excellent How to Start a Startup class at Stanford University. Twenty amazing lectures that cover everything from ideas to incorporation to hiring and management. File contains .epub, .mobi, and .pdf files.
- TLDR: Highlighted Quotes From Entrepreneurial Thought LeadersA collection of my favorite quotes from the inspirational lecture series "Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders". Ten year of notes distilled down to the quotes that spoke to me the most. File contains .epub, .mobi, and .pdf files.
Author
About the Author
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2005-2006
Entrepreneurship Viewed as a Tool and When to Use it in Industry & Science
Entrepreneurship Within a Marriage
The Microfinance of Entrepreneurship
The Technology of Podcasting
The Passion and Perseverance Behind a Start-up
From Harvard to the Facebook
From Start-up to Market Dominance in the Field of Surgical Robotics
Twenty Years of Experience in Developing Software in Silicon Valley
Using Creative Leadership
Ten Enduring Success Factors for High Technology Entrepreneurship
Two Brothers Building a Company From Scratch
Entrepreneurial Leadership Qualities
Strategies in the Biopharmaceutical Industry
Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy Through the Eyes of an Immigrant
Lessons Learned in the Life Sciences Industry
Balancing Work and Life
Life Inside a Law Firm
What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20
The Story of Proactiv Solution
The Fairy Tale of Innovent and How it Came to Be
Secret to Successful Negotiations
The Ins and Outs of a Successful Biotechnology Company
Nine Lessons Learned about Creativity at Google
Groundbreaking Healthcare Initiatives and the Entrepreneurial Minds Behind Them
The Contrasts of a Big Company and a Small Start-Up
Stimulating Innovation and Creativity in the Workplace
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2006-2007
Research Lens on Understanding Entrepreneurial Firms
Vision, Values & Strategy
Founding Prosper, a People-to-People Lending Marketplace
A Culture of Making a Difference
The New Frontier in Gaming
Confessions of a Serial Silicon Valley CEO
Words of Wisdom from an Experienced CEO
The New Adventures of Old VC’s
Changing the Game of Enterprise Software
The Dynamic Relationship Between an Entrepreneur and VC
Choosing the Entrepreneurial Path
5 Must-Haves of an Entrepreneurial Career
An Entrepreneurial Perspective on the Life Sciences Industry
The Role of Entrepreneurship in Solving World Problems
It’s Your Ship: Lessons in Leadership
Phases of a Startup
The Physics of Startups
Leadership and Choice
Overcoming Adversity and Taking Risks
Adventures of a Startup CEO: No Guts No Glory
Negotiations On and Off the Field
Community-Based Organizations
The No Jerk Rule
The Positive Impact of Entrepreneurship in the American Economy
Social Networking 3.0
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2007-2008
From Venture Capitalist to Entrepreneur
Lessons from the Electric Roadster
Startups: The Need for Speed
The Art of Negotiation
The Growth of Solar Ventures
Connecting Common Experiences
Delivering a Digital Torrent
How to Build a Successful Company
Angel Investing Revealed
Intersection of the Environment and Financial Markets
Entrepreneurial Practices for High-Impact Non-Profits
The Path to an Acquisition
Healthy Entrepreneurship in Medical Devices
Representing the Socially Responsible Enterprise
Banking on Corporate Culture and Strategy
Entrepreneurship That Clicks
Concentrated Power in a Global Economy
Rewarding Sky-High Innovation
Unreeling the Documentary Film
The Evolution of Yahoo!
The Next Wave of Corporate Philanthropy
Under the Microscope: Socially Responsible Biotech
A VC Perspective on the Life Sciences
Music Artists Go Entrepreneurial
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2008-2009
Retooling Early Stage Development
The Next Wave of Industry: Global Clean Tech
Balancing Economy, Equity, and Ecology Through Design
The Black Swans of Energy Invention
Is Innovation Withering on the Vine?
A Cuil Tune-up for Search Engines
Young at Heart: How to Be an Innovator for Life
13 Mistakes and 13 Brilliant Strokes
The Growth and Bloom of Cooliris
Making a Big Company Feel Small
A History of Venture Capital
Emerging Opportunities in a Post IT Marketplace
Innovation as the Crux of Entrepreneurship
What is the Next Big Thing?
Developing the Future of Home Healthcare
Vision Matters
Building an Organization, Building a Team
Spotlight on Scalability
Under the Lid of BioFuelBox
The Future of Microsoft, The Future of Technology
Inside the Mind of a Reluctant Entrepreneur
Clean Tech Challenges and Solutions
The Art of Teaching Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2009-2010
Lessons From China: The Evolution of The Globe’s Largest Search Engine
Evangelizing for the Lean Startup
Innovation in a Disruptive Environment
Responsible Engineering in the Modern Age
A Historical Perspective on Semiconductors and Moore’s Law
A Serious Take on Internet Game Play
Successful Independent Promotion: From Artist to Entrepreneur
Fall 2009 Quarter Roundup: What Did We Learn?
Evolution of a CEO
Unlearn Your MBA
Risky Business: Analysis from an Engineering Perspective
Entrepreneurial Journeys in Healthcare
Panel of Young Entrepreneurs
Sharing a Measure of Success
People, Passion, Perseverance: You’ve Got Entrepreneurship
Success and Failure Drive Innovation
Getting to Plan B
Collaborative Innovation and a Pull Economy
The Ebb and Flow of Clean Tech and Entrepreneurs
A Pandora’s Box of Start-up Expertise
Investing for Market Strategy and Capital
A Panorama of Venture Capital and Beyond
The Perfect Storm in MedTech
The Diplomacy of Technology
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2010-2011
Chile: Launching a Global Entrepreneurship Hub
Entrepreneurial Lessons: Find Value and Make Impact
Solving Problems Makes a Great Business
Honest Advice on Starting a Company
Leadership and Disruptive Technologies
Funding Thunder Lizard Entrepreneurs
Customer Focus Builds Global Growth
What Great Leaders Do
How Ideas Take Flight
Social Entrepreneurship Changing Education
Delivering Innovation for the Enterprise
Following Your Startup Vision
Relentless Pursuit of Innovation
The Power of Curiosity and Inspiration
Live for the Future and Survive Success
A Devotion to New Ideas
Creating Enchantment
Effective Models for Sustainable Growth
A New Vision for Capital Markets
How to Build Instant Connections
Developing Products that Save Lives
Reach Your Escape Velocity
From Stanford to Startup
The Value of True Partnerships
Innovate for America
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2011-2012
Entrepreneurship Gives Life Meaning
No Exit Strategy for Your Life’s Work
Great Entrepreneurs Go Out and Do
Products With a Purpose
Believe In Something Bigger Than Yourself
Method to Success
Understanding Venture Capital
A Startup is a Learning Experience
Talking About a Revolution
Tools for Business Model Generation
Building an Entrepreneurial Career
Embrace Uncertainty
Find Your Vector of Impact
Live Life in Permanent Beta
Energies that Power a Career
Two Generations of Entrepreneurship
The Wave of Social Entrepreneurship
Producing a Career from the Ground Up
Small Acts and Big Impacts
A Story of Change and Opportunity
A Playlist for Entrepreneurs
Secrets at Apple’s Core
Finding Your Way as an Entrepreneur
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2012-2013
A Startup in Harmony
Build Your Personal Charisma
Timing Matters
Impact: Stanford Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Founder’s Dilemmas
Path and Purpose of a First-TIme CEO
Pursue Passions with a Vengeance
A Healthy Respect for Innovation
Disruptive Innovation Can Happen Anywhere
Drive Change Through Entrepreneurship
White Space is Everywhere
Calling All Entrepreneurial Heroes
An Enterprising Approach to Investment
The Path to Palantir
Launching into Uncharted Space
Create More Value Than You Capture
How Things Gain from Disorder
Mobile Can Disrupt Social
What You Learn by Doing
Own Your Own Success
Leading Big Visions From the Heart
From Lockup to Startup
Deep Inside Facebook
Magician Leadership
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2013-2014
There is Always a Way Forward
Realizing Innovation at Enterprise Scale
You Have to Break the Egg
Revel in the Adventure of New Ideas
A World of Changemakers
Thirsting for a Life of Service
Opportunities Abound in the Big Data Space
The Path to More Inclusive Innovation
Accelerating Real Change in Healthcare
The Gospel of a Lean VC
Moving from Hubris to Confidence
Shaping the Future of Data
Scaling Up Excellence
The Music Industry Unplugged
A True Model for Embracing Change
Acceleration Through Community
Be an Authentic Entrepreneur
Education Reimagined
An Emphasis on Excellence
Creativity, Inc.
Crazy is a Compliment
The Road to IPO
Do Something You Love
Adventures in Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders 2014-2015
Optimal Traits and Sustainable Advantages
The Power of Not Knowing
From Inspiration to Implementation
Tackle Projects Others Don’t Want
Life is Too Short for Bad Software
Seeking the Full Potential of Education
Consumers and Brands in the Digital Age
Nailing the Hard Things
Make Government Work Better for All
Find Your Niche, Help the World
Growing a Creative Company
Making Complicated Things Simple
Figure Out What’s Important
Putting Startup Success in Perspective
The Startup Journey: A Marathon, Not a Sprint
Injecting Innovation into Intractable Systems
Experience is Your Reward
Impact Will Keep You Motivated
Non-Linear Path to Leadership
Simple Rules for a Complex World
Blue is Where You Should Be
Creativity Unleashes Value for the World
Entrepreneurship Takes Flight
Find Your Venture’s Emotional Core
Get the free sample chapters
Click the buttons to get the free sample in PDF or EPUB, or read the sample online here
Causes
Causes Supported
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Defending your civil liberties in a digital world.
https://www.eff.org/The Leanpub 60 Day 100% Happiness Guarantee
Within 60 days of purchase you can get a 100% refund on any Leanpub purchase, in two clicks.
Now, this is technically risky for us, since you'll have the book or course files either way. But we're so confident in our products and services, and in our authors and readers, that we're happy to offer a full money back guarantee for everything we sell.
You can only find out how good something is by trying it, and because of our 100% money back guarantee there's literally no risk to do so!
So, there's no reason not to click the Add to Cart button, is there?
See full terms...
Earn $8 on a $10 Purchase, and $16 on a $20 Purchase
We pay 80% royalties on purchases of $7.99 or more, and 80% royalties minus a 50 cent flat fee on purchases between $0.99 and $7.98. You earn $8 on a $10 sale, and $16 on a $20 sale. So, if we sell 5000 non-refunded copies of your book for $20, you'll earn $80,000.
(Yes, some authors have already earned much more than that on Leanpub.)
In fact, authors have earned over $14 million writing, publishing and selling on Leanpub.
Learn more about writing on Leanpub
Free Updates. DRM Free.
If you buy a Leanpub book, you get free updates for as long as the author updates the book! Many authors use Leanpub to publish their books in-progress, while they are writing them. All readers get free updates, regardless of when they bought the book or how much they paid (including free).
Most Leanpub books are available in PDF (for computers) and EPUB (for phones, tablets and Kindle). The formats that a book includes are shown at the top right corner of this page.
Finally, Leanpub books don't have any DRM copy-protection nonsense, so you can easily read them on any supported device.
Learn more about Leanpub's ebook formats and where to read them
Write and Publish on Leanpub
You can use Leanpub to easily write, publish and sell in-progress and completed ebooks and online courses!
Leanpub is a powerful platform for serious authors, combining a simple, elegant writing and publishing workflow with a store focused on selling in-progress ebooks.
Leanpub is a magical typewriter for authors: just write in plain text, and to publish your ebook, just click a button. (Or, if you are producing your ebook your own way, you can even upload your own PDF and/or EPUB files and then publish with one click!) It really is that easy.