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Quote of the day by Marc Andreessen: ‘My goal is not to fail fast. My goal is to succeed over the long run. They are…'

Reported by Livemint ·Timesofindiadiatimes
Jun 12, 2026· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen argues that the goal is not to fail fast but to succeed over the long run, stating "They are not the same thing."
  • • The quote criticizes the Silicon Valley mantra of "fail fast," which Andreessen says should not be treated as the objective of a venture.
  • • The remarks are attributed to his January 2015 essay "Failure," published by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
  • • The quote is a daily quotation feature with no new policy, deal, or fund announcement attached.
Summary
Livemint's quote-of-the-day feature highlights a line from Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and co-creator of the Mosaic browser and co-founder of Netscape Communications: "My goal is not to fail fast. My goal is to succeed over the long run. They are not the same thing." According to the article, the remark was published in Andreessen's essay "Failure" in January 2015 and was a critique of the popular Silicon Valley idea of "fail fast."

The article interprets the quote as a argument that failure should not be treated as an end in itself. Learning from setbacks, adapting strategy and maintaining a long-term vision are presented as the drivers of durable success. Publisher commentary frames the message around patience, persistence and strategic decision-making rather than repeated, unstructured mistakes.

The piece is an editorial quote feature and does not report new financial developments, fund activity, or market data. Its relevance for institutional readers lies in the investing and operating philosophy of a prominent venture capitalist, as Andreessen's comments distinguish tactical experimentation from long-horizon value creation.

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Sources

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AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

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