When faced with a tradeoff, pick the ambition-maximizing direction.

Added to korrents 31 Oct 2026 · How quotes work · Something wrong? Tell us

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• A founder needs ambition rather than a sense of duty, because a startup is grueling enough that dutifulness will not carry anyone through it. PGPaul Graham3 Sept 2026ambition
• After a year or more of building for velocity, the next year will probably be won on ambition instead. CVClaire Vo10 Sept 2026ambition
• Ambition does not equate with happiness: in the Harvard aging cohort it was the people who lived average lives who reported being happiest. MHMasud Husain24 Aug 2026ambition
• Ambition in founders is mostly inborn, which is why stories of a founder acquiring it during a batch are rare. PGPaul Graham3 Sept 2026ambition
• Ambition should be measured in the eyes of your customer rather than your peers, which means being willing to take the best ideas wherever you find them. MPMark Pincus14 Jun 2026ambition

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