Top 45 Aileen Lee Quotes

Each major wave of technology innovation has given rise to one or more super-unicorns – companies that could change your life to work at or invest in if you’re not lucky/genius enough to be a co-founder.

There’s an opportunity to make your board – and your company – smarter by adding diversity, especially of gender.

Starbucks did this magical thing where it took a product that people didn’t really care that much about and made it this treat. It makes you feel better about your day and gives you a chance to reflect, makes you feel a little special.

You have to get under the hood and spend some quality time with someone to understand what they’re really good at.

I really have become very interested at working with and helping entrepreneurs at the early stages of their growth.

If someone was having some surgery that was going to put them out for three months, it’s something you should consider, with a man or a woman. What is the impact of having the C.E.O. or visionary out for three months?

If a firm hasn’t hired a single female partner in its history, I don’t think it will finally happen by accident.

Male founders who come across as Type B are more likely to get the benefit of the doubt.

When companies are private, founders can share more about their future dreams with investors; report less; and the shares are illiquid, constraining short-term changes in valuation.

There are not many people from top-tier venture capital firms who are focused on the seed stage.

Why do investors seem to care about ‘billion dollar exits?’ Historically, top venture funds have driven returns from their ownership in just a few companies in a given fund of many companies.

History suggests the 2010s will give rise to a super-unicorn or two that reflect the key tech wave of the decade, the mobile web.

Seed stage is an investment area that is really important for early stage startups. It feels like there is a need for trusted, experienced people to work with and to guide startups at this level.

I think, from a woman’s perspective, that my interest as an investor and the way that I relate to entrepreneurs is a little bit different.

Top creative and innovative talent wants to live in a vibrant, transit-friendly, global city that offers access to not only great jobs but also great food, entertainment and culture.

Some investors may grumble about entrepreneurs wanting ‘unicorn valuations.’ But let’s be honest: most investors want them, too, and are supporting the massive capitalization of these companies.

Some companies are worth paying for up front.

I work with tiny companies, so I don’t really live in unicorn world, to be honest.

In the future, the best retail sites will know you much better and show you things that are much more relevant.

There are so many people who try so hard and have such big dreams, and it doesn’t happen for them.

Female users are the unsung heroines behind the most engaging, fastest growing, and most valuable consumer Internet and e-commerce companies.

If you’re looking to grow your user base, is there a best way to cost-effectively attract valuable users? I’m increasingly convinced the best way is by harnessing a concept called social proof, a relatively untapped gold mine in the age of the social web.

You can’t get into the trap of paying for customer acquisition.

What is social proof? Put simply, it’s the positive influence created when someone finds out that others are doing something. It’s also known as informational social influence.

I played with different words like ‘home run,’ ‘megahit,’ and they just all sounded kind of ‘blah.’ So I put in ‘unicorn’ because they are – these are very rare companies in the sense that there are thousands of startups in tech every year, and only a handful will wind up becoming a unicorn company. They’re really rare.

Comscore, Nielsen, MediaMetrix and Quantcast studies all show women are the driving force of the most important net trend of the decade, the social web.

From a pretty early age, I developed an interest in travel. I told my parents I wanted to live abroad, and they said, ‘Well, you have to have money to do those things.’

Super early-stage companies have a village that form around them for support.

Relative to all the start-ups out there, getting a valuation of $1 billion is rarely accomplished.

Most VC firms are looking to bring in women because of the great consumer cycle.

Women are going to be a huge force in developing Web and mobile companies.

What’s the word to describe the thing that all of us are trying to do, which is to found or work for or invest in a company that is the winner of all winners?

Having been a venture-backed CEO, and having an established background in working with consumer-focused companies, I’ve built a strong network of entrepreneurs and people who can help startups.

There needs to be more deliberate effort on the part of folks at VC firms to bring in a more diverse team of talent. You have to make a more concerted effort to bring in people who are different and who may not be in your network.

I’m a huge believer in power of women on the web.

The role and importance of females in companies can make a big difference.

Immigrants play a huge role in the founding and value creation of today’s tech companies. We wonder how much more value could be created if it were easier to get a work visa.

I grew up in New Jersey and played sports and rode my bike around. It was a really nice time – kids didn’t have cellphones then – and you knew everyone in the town.

Starting a company and being a founder is really hard, and most companies fail. You really have to have a deep commitment and belief in it and be willing to see it through many ups and downs.

Spend the first six to 12 months building a great product or service that people love, rather than chasing investors. When the time comes to engage investors, you will be meeting them from a position of strength. This makes all the difference.

We’re in this incredible age where new brands are making people’s lives easier, more convenient, more personalized.

When I was growing up, I had lots of smart classmates that were girls, but none of us were really pushed into math or computers or anything like that. Girls took AP history and AP English and AP European history. And boys took calculus and physics.

If you’re a digital startup, building and highlighting your social proof is the best way for new users to learn about you.

When I go visit my mom in the retirement community where my parents live, she has a bunch of friends, and she will say, ‘These neighbors I play bridge with have a son with an idea,’ and it goes from there.

I appreciate the sacrifices my dad made. I went to a great public high school.