Scott Galloway

Quotes are word for word from the source.

• The cost of lying

  “However, on the whole, lying is a payday loan. Your words begin to lose purchase. Oh, and it's wrong.”

  Our noteWarning about the long-term erosion of credibility that comes from habitual dishonesty.

• Helping others

  “I think the ultimate hack for depression, or if you're feeling bad about yourself, is to start helping others”

  Our noteScott suggests volunteering as a way to improve mental health and social skills.

• Maturity and Standards

  “I think maturity is realizing people aren't perfect, learn from them what you can. But I do think the wealthiest man in the world and the president should be held to a higher standard.”

  Our noteScott balances the need for personal grace with the necessity of holding powerful figures accountable.

• Building a life

  “The integration of female and male energy, the ability to find someone you want to procreate with, to build something together, that is the most rewarding thing in life”

  Our noteScott talks about the importance of forming deep, long-term alliances in personal life.

• Unreasonable Expectations

  “it's created unreasonable expectations for a lot of young men and young women about what they need to look like. If they haven't made millions of dollars, if they aren't on a private jet going to Coachella”

  Our noteScott explains the pressure social media puts on young people to achieve extreme wealth and status.

• No easy products

  “There has to be a product that doesn't require you to get out the spoon and publicly eat shit over and over. Actually, no, there isn't.”

  Our noteScott emphasizes that even great products require difficult, humble selling.

• Curation over assortment

  “Play to Amazon's weaknesses by curating selection vs. endless aisle assortment.”

  Our noteHe suggests a strategy for smaller retailers to compete against Amazon's massive inventory.

• Strategic prioritization

  “Decide where you'll be best in class, and where you'll be just good enough”

  Our noteHe emphasizes that firms must allocate finite resources to specific strengths rather than spreading them thin.

• Big Tech Bias

  “The bias, and Jupiter-sized hall pass, we afford Amazon/Apple/Facebook/Google is a reflection of our fascination with youth and the idolatry of money extended to corporations we personify.”

  Our noteScott discusses why society and regulators are overly lenient toward dominant technology companies.

• Luxury and Consumption

  “Conspicuous consumption of luxury items, similar to sex with someone hot you don't really like, is an empty experience. However, as far as empty experiences go... they're both awesome.”

  Our noteScott reflects on the hollow but enjoyable nature of luxury goods during the holiday season.

• Retail Value Proposition

  “People are no longer going to stores for products. They can find them for less online. They go to stores for people (experts).”

  Our noteScott explains why traditional retail stores are losing their appeal to modern consumers.

• Scarcity and Pricing

  “Scarcity is key to irrational prices. Beachfront property is scarce and, regardless of the economic cycle, is always super expensive”

  Our noteExplaining why certain assets maintain high prices regardless of the economy.

• Consolidating professional activities

  “I'll establish a corporation, PlatformG, Inc., encompassing all my professional activities - teaching, speaking, writing, glass blowing (retirement), man-whoring (weekend gig), and choreography (next life).”

  Our noteScott describes his satirical plan to emulate big tech firms by consolidating all his ventures.

• Efficiency through technology

  “I can systematically invest in technology that makes me more efficient, like teaching more students, so that fewer professors are needed at Stern, and I can capture most of the tuition dollars”

  Our noteHe explains how technology can be used to scale personal output and capture more value.

• Power of cities

  “Opportunity is a function of density. Get to a place that's crowded with success.”

  Our noteHe advises graduates to move to major cities to accelerate their careers.

• Speed and endurance

  “The world does not belong to the big, but to the fast. You want to cover more ground in less time than your peers.”

  Our noteHe emphasizes the importance of moving quickly and working hard early on.

• The Artisan Age

  “We are in the age of the artisan, where consumers are only a few searches and reviews away from discovering the specific product that matches their exact needs”

  Our noteExplaining how search and reviews empower long-tail brands over traditional ones.

• VC Brand Value

  “A tier-1 VC's brand can help you close a round, but there's little enterprise value. It's about the guy (and they are all guys) you'll be working with.”

  Our noteScott discusses the reality of working with top-tier venture capital firms.

• Brand Differentiation

  “Differentiation is the concept that links brand and strategy. So, all of us, every day, are trying to figure out how to go a bit rogue and be the bad boy elephant”

  Our noteScott explains how the concept of being 'rogue' or different is central to building a brand.