What Ryan Holiday thinks about startups

@ryan-holiday · 13 positions · On ppll ↗

American author of The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy; writes the Reading List book-recommendation email and owns The Painted Porch bookstore in Bastrop, Texas.

Ryan Holiday did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

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Only Ryan Holiday on startups. See everyone on startups

1 dated position, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Ryan Holiday has said — not written or endorsed by them.

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1. 28 Aug 2026

   Our readingThere is nothing wrong with building something large, as long as that is genuinely what someone set out to do.

   Their wordsIt is fine if you want to be a Chipotle. There's nothing wrong with building something large if that's genuinely what you set out to do.

   ↗The Discipline Required To Create The Life You Wantryanholiday.net 1st of 4 in this piece