Derek Sivers Quotes

Business is not about money. It's about making dreams come true for others and for yourself.

Whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it.

Repeated psychology tests have proven that telling someone your goal makes it less likely to happen.

Let’s never forget that whatever brilliant ideas you have or hear, that the opposite may also be true.

Customer service is the new marketing.

When you make a business, you get to make a little universe where you control all the laws.

You grow (and thrive!) by doing what excites you and what scares you everyday, not by trying to find your passion.

Don't be on your deathbed someday, having squandered your one chance at life, full of regret because you pursued little distractions instead of big dreams.

I love that sometimes we need to go to the opposite side of the world to realize assumptions that we didn't even know we had and realize that the opposite may also be true.

The most important lesson is probably to spend less than you earn.

The single most important thing is to make people happy. If you are making people happy, as a side effect, they will be happy to open up their wallets and pay you.

How you do anything is how you do everything. Your "character" or "nature" just refers to how you handle all the day-to-day things in life, no matter how small.

Making a company is a great way to improve the world while improving yourself.

The first follower is actually an underestimated form of leadership in itself. … The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.

You can't please everyone, so proudly exclude people.

When you make a company, you make a utopia. It's where you design your perfect world.

The creative person basically has two kinds of jobs: One is the sexy, creative kind. Second is the kind that pays the bills. Sometimes the task at hand covers both bases, but not often.

Obvious to you is amazing to others.

Care about your customers more than about yourself, and you'll do well.

If I’m not saying ‘Hell Yeah!’ to something, then I say no.

Ideas are just a multiplier of execution.

Don’t pursue business just for your own gain. Only answer the calls for help.

Programming languages are like girlfriends: The new one is better because *you* are better.

I'm not interested until I see their execution.

When you make a business you're making a little world.

If you're not saying 'Hell Yeah' about something, say 'No'.

It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.

If it's not a hit, switch.

Learning. It's really the primary reason behind everything I do. Programming, entrepreneuring, writing.

The most brilliant idea, with no execution, is worth $20. The most brilliant idea takes great execution to be worth $20,000,000.

Make every decision—even decisions about whether to expand the business, raise money, or promote someone—according to what's best for your customers.

It was the first follower that transformed the lone nut into a leader.

I realized why I need to start a new company. Not for the money. Not because I'm 'bored'. But because a company is a laboratory to try your ideas.

Are you helping people? Are they happy? Are you happy? Are you profitable? Isn't that enough?

Success comes from persistently improving and inventing, not from persistently promoting what’s not working.

Pay close attention to when you're being the real you & when you're trying to impress an invisible jury.

In the end, it's about what you want to be, not what you want to have.

Never forget why you're really doing what you're doing.

You grow (and thrive!) by doing what excitesyou and what scares you everyday, not bytrying to find your passion.

If you find even the smallest way to make people smile, they’ll remember you more for that smile than for all your other fancy business-model stuff