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CXO

Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

By Conner Forrest July 5, 2018, 10:24 AM PDT

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

1. Bill Gates, Microsoft founder

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1. Bill Gates, Microsoft founder

AdView compiled a list of inspirational quotes from leaders in multiple industries. Here are the best in tech.

Smartness is not single-dimensional and not quite as important as I thought it was back then.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

2. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

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2. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

There is no straight path to where you are going.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

3. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos

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3. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos

Be unapologetically true to yourself, both in business, and in life in general… if you do, and broadcast that to the world, over time, the right people will find you.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

4. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook

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4. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook

You’re going to make mistakes no matter what you do. People spend a lot of time focusing on not making mistakes or regretting them, but you shouldn’t strive to be right about everything.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

5. Peter Thiel, entrepreneur

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5. Peter Thiel, entrepreneur

Before getting swept up in the competitions that define so much of life, ask yourself whether you even want the prize on offer.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

6. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

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6. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

The joy is in the journey.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

7. Mark Cuban, entrepreneur

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7. Mark Cuban, entrepreneur

You’ve got to know where you are good and where you are not good.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

8. Jordan Ritter, co-founder of Napster

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8. Jordan Ritter, co-founder of Napster

Spend deliberate, intentional time thinking about what you value most, what’s truly important to you.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

9. Joel Spolsky, co-founder of Trello

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9. Joel Spolsky, co-founder of Trello

It gets better. It’s important to learn new things and expand your horizons.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

10. Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia

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10. Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia

Whether it is a change of job, or an entrepreneurial dream, the less you NEED to spend each month, the easier it is to follow those dreams.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

11. Justin Rosenstein, co-founder of Asana

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11. Justin Rosenstein, co-founder of Asana

Problems happen. Plans fail. Don’t be disheartened when things don’t go as you’d hoped.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

12. Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp

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12. Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp

Most of the things you’ll worry about aren’t worth worrying about.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

Kathryn Minshew, co-founder and CEO of The Muse

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Kathryn Minshew, co-founder and CEO of The Muse

“No” is often just the starting point.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress

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Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress

Be okay with things building up over time.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora

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Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora

Be sure to “notice” ideas when you have them. Stop. Take the time to consider them seriously. And if your gut tells you they’re compelling, be fearless in their pursuit.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

Aicha Evans, chief strategy officer of Intel

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Aicha Evans, chief strategy officer of Intel

Enjoy failing fast rather than spending so much time figuring out how to be perfect, or even worse, being paralyzed by fear of being perfect.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

Katie Moussouris, founder and CEO of Luta Security

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Katie Moussouris, founder and CEO of Luta Security

Actively listen with empathy, especially when it comes to those you don’t agree with.

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Photos: 18 tech leaders share advice they wished they got as teenagers

Stuart McClure, founder and CEO, Cylance

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Stuart McClure, founder and CEO, Cylance

tTrusting someone before it is earned is a painful way to live, but the only way to truly feel free.

Also see

  • Interview tips: How to land your next tech job (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
  • Where the tech jobs are — and will be in the future (ZDNet)
  • Cheat sheet: How to become a data scientist (TechRepublic)
  • The best job in America is, oh, software developer (CNET)
  • The 20 most important IT jobs for the future economy (TechRepublic)
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By Conner Forrest
Conner is a former Senior Editor for TechRepublic. He is now a Senior Research Analyst at 451 Research.
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