Eric Schmidt Quotes

We had this unbelievable faith that no business has done, quite frankly, and we tripped along the way doing it, but within two years, we were in 40-plus countries. So we ran at an amazing pace, and this is where venture capitalists play a role. Making Groupon into what it is today, we had no role in it; the entrepreneurs did it.

I just see the opportunities and I go for them. I don't want to play my career safe. I've had my successes and I've had a few failures, too. But you just keep going and do the best that you can. That's what I've learned.

Never turn down a job because you think it's too small; you don't know where it can lead.

There are one hundred men seeking security to one able man who is willing to risk his fortune.

In this business, you never say no to anything.

The moment I got a very big studio, everything took off.

As you get older, I think everyone feels that, no matter what the job: to try a hand at running the business as opposed to simply being an employee.

I also did an Ozzy piece for him, and so I got hired. Everything happened really fast. I can't give people advice, because everything in my life changed completely in less than a year and it's still not something I am used to.

You can't be a professional rejector of opportunities.

As actors, we have to say yes to everything for a really long time. You say 'Yes' to anything you can get.

You can hit the proverbial roof at certain areas in the industry unless you venture out. And I never really set out in my career to stay in one place. I wanted to go out and try new things. Luckily, I've had that opportunity.

When Mike Hammond and I started Gateway 12 years ago on my father's cattle farm, we knew it could be big. We talked big. But there's no way we could have been prepared to go from less than $300 million in revenues to $5 billion in six years. You can't so much prepare for that kind of growth as sort of ride it and try to manage it.

I'm really grateful for every opportunity I have received because each job has opened new doors to levels that wouldn't have been possible without the previous one. So in that sense, every job has been career defining.

Mentors and sponsors, particularly in the early stages of my career, were invaluable to me because they encouraged me to raise my hand and take opportunities to build my capabilities.

I didn't have a career plan. But what I did was, whenever there was a door open and a new opportunity, I always looked into it and took a chance and walked through the door.

If there's an opportunity open that leads to an even bigger opportunity, you're going to take it.

Being a start-up has nothing to do with the numbers. It's that everyone who works there has the chance to do everything and have an impact.

I've had to do a lot of growing quickly for my career and owning that I'm the boss. I used to play every single one of the roles and now I have to remember that I'm the boss.

Virgin could never have grown into the group of more than 200 companies it is now, were it not for a steady stream of intrapreneurs who looked for and developed opportunities, often leading efforts that went against the grain.

Corporate men and women, once divided by striking differences in opportunity for career growth, have come to share career chaos.

Taking chances on opportunities, even if they aren't right for you, gives you a clearer picture of where you want to go with your life and career.

Risk is an essential part of progress.

It is within everyone's grasp to be a CEO.

Entrepreneurs embody the promise of America: the idea that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard and see it through, you can succeed in this country. And in fulfilling this promise, entrepreneurs also play a critical role in expanding our economy and creating jobs.

The ones who make it, are the ones who manage risk.