Quotes that changed my life...
“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.
So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.
You have to trust in something—your heart, gut, destiny, life, karma..."
Steve Jobs
To the Stanford graduating class 2006
"You need to choose. You can either either be a leader in a large company like Apple or be a CEO of a startup to create a new large company. There is nothing in between."
Bill Campbell
When asked what my choices were after Bill joined Claris, and I was still at Apple Computer in 1990. I left Apple to found my first startup Rae Technology thanks to the incredible support and love from Bill..
"People
People
People"
Art Rock
When I asked him what are the 3 things he looks for in a venture investment. Apple 1992. Art was the legendary venture capital founder of Silicon Valley and investor in Apple, Intel & Teledyne and mentored me when I left Apple to found my first startup.
"Just because it has not been done before, doesn't mean it is not a great idea"
Martin Frid-Nelson wth the NetObjects Founding Team
While brainstorming if we should create the first page layout editior vs. a text editor for the Internet browser Masiac in 1993. We did.
"That which does not kill you, makes you stronger"
John Doerr, Kleiner Perkins
In my early days while navigating Internet startup life as a founder, 1995
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
"Yes, everything you know might be be wrong"
Dub Leigh
Responding to my question on why so much of the alternative ideas I was hearing did not fit with my past thinking. Esalen, Big Sur 1991. He gave me the story of the man who goes to a zen master who keeps pouring tea till it overflows to show that you need to empty your cup before anything new can get in. I had a pretty full cup.
“When you do things from your heart, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
Rumi
"Follow the code of doing the right thing the right way—with integrity, courage, honor, honesty, character, fairness, loyalty, caring, love and benevolence."
The Bushido Code
The Way of the Warrior
"To transcend life and death and all dualism by truly realizing that the entire universe is the you and you are the entire universe. Besides this actual realization, there is nothing else."
Omori Sogen
Rinzai Zen Roshi, Omori was a master and teacher of Kendo, Shodo and Zazen
"Develop yourself so you are bursting with desire for your art, so much so that can't sleep, eat or even want to breathe till you create it"
Barry John
Theatre Action Group Creative Director