“If you want to build something big, you have to be willing to be misunderstood for a very long time.”
Ashneer Grover · Doglapan, 2023
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You don't build a unicorn by being polite. You build it by being right.
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About this quote
Meaning
This quote challenges the idea that likability or social grace is what drives business success. Being agreeable might preserve relationships in the short term, but it rarely builds category-defining companies. What matters, the quote insists, is being correct, about the market, the product, the timing, and the strategy, even when that correctness requires friction.
Context
Grover said this during Shark Tank India's first season, a context in which he was regularly evaluating founders under time pressure and in front of a large audience. His feedback on the show was often sharp and unsparing, and this quote reflects the philosophy behind that approach. He was not advocating for rudeness as a strategy, but rather arguing that the instinct to smooth things over or avoid conflict can lead founders and investors alike to make comfortable decisions rather than correct ones.
About the author
Ashneer Grover is an Indian entrepreneur and former co-founder of BharatPe, a fintech platform that scaled quickly in India's digital payments market. He became a familiar television personality through Shark Tank India, where his willingness to disagree openly set him apart from more diplomatic co-panelists. Grover has been candid in interviews and in his memoir about his belief that competence and conviction matter more than likeability in competitive business environments. His career has been marked by both significant commercial success and public controversy, and his public statements consistently reflect a preference for directness over diplomacy.
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