10 Memorable Quotes From The Start-up of YOU

Last week I received a signed copy of The Start-up of You by Reid Hoffman, the co-founder and chairman of LinkedIn, a site that just hit 150 million users! On its debut today, it hit #1 on Amazon, which is no surprise since Reid has built up an enormous and influential network over years of hard work and dedication. He co-authored the book with another Silicon Valley entrepreneur and blogger, Ben Casnocha.

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The book explains how you have to treat your career as you would a start-up company. Even if you don’t want to start a company, the lessons you will learn throughout the book will help you advance in your career. You need to invest in yourself, build strong relationships and take risks if you want to make it in corporate America or start-up America. Here are ten quotes that stood out to me while reading this amazing book:

1. “All humans are entrepreneurs not because they should start companies but because the will to create is encoded in human DNA.”

2. “Entrepreneurship is a life idea, not a stricly business one; a global idea, not a strictly American one.”

3. “Before dreaming about the future or marking plans, you need to articulate what you already have going for you – as entrepreneurs do.”

4. “When you’re doing work you care about, you are able to work harder and better.”

5. “You remake yourself as you grow and as the world changes. Your identity doesn’t get found. It emerges.”

6. “Whatever the situation, actions, not plans, generate lessons that help you test your hypotheses against reality.”

7. “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.”

8. “The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.”

9. “If you want to build  a strong network that will help you move ahead in your career, it’s vital to first take stock of the connections you already have.”

10. “What will get you somewhere is being able to access the information you need, when you need it.”