Fred Wilson on Return on Ridicule
on Sunday, December 8, 2013Fred Wilson Money Quotation saying there is derision in unlikely and exploratory business areas than in safe and reasonable places. Fred Wilson said:
“We have made more money on things that were highly ridiculed than on any other cohort” — Fred Wilson
In this quote, Fred Wilson is referring to making profitable investments in companies or ideas that were initially ridiculed or dismissed by others. As a venture capitalist, Wilson is saying that some of his most lucrative deals involved betting on entities that were widely criticized or doubted at first.
His meaning is that being open-minded rather than dismissive of unconventional opportunities can potentially lead to great financial returns.
While an unpopular concept may seem risky, if one looks past surface judgments and assesses the underlying merits, ridiculed investments may end up outperforming more conventional options according to Wilson’s experience in technology venture capital.