• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Top 10 quotes from Brainstorm Tech

By
Jessica Shambora
Jessica Shambora
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jessica Shambora
Jessica Shambora
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 28, 2009, 4:09 PM ET

by Patricia Sellers and Jessica Shambora

We took a break from posting our daily Power Point–Postcards‘ quote of the day–last week, but we collected more than a few good ones at Fortune Brainstorm Tech in Pasadena. Here are our 10 favorites,  from the mouths of media moguls, tech titans, Tweeters and more.

“It’s not really my thing. I don’t go to the dentist. I don’t do things that cause me to emote.” — IAC chairman and CEO Barry Diller, talking about why he’s not on Twitter.

“We want to be like Ron Howard.” – Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, noting that he doesn’t want his two-year-old company to turn out like childhood actors “who grew up all freaky.”

“I shut down a website everyday because I send too much traffic from my Twitter feed.” – actor Ashton Kutcher, who has 2.9 million followers on Twitter.

“You can get so focused on expanding your current business model that innovation slows down.” – eBay CEO John Donahoe, on how the e-commerce giant stumbled.

“You can’t play catch up. The gig in the on-line world is how to capture new behaviors.” — News Corp. chief digital officer Jon Miller, on how he aims to revitalize MySpace, which has lost ground to Facebook.

“I’ve learned more about my daughters on their Facebook pages than I did while I was raising them.” — Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger.

“I don’t think I could get my wife to say that about me, so I don’t think I could say that about a business partner.” — AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, on whether he’s completely satisfied with his company’s relationship with Apple .

“[We’re taking] what used to be a goofy gimmick [and turning] it into great platform for storytelling.” — Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, on 3D technology.

“Real value in a world of infinite choice is someone making choices for you.” — NBC Entertainment co-chair Ben Silverman, four days before disclosing that he’s leaving to partner with IAC’s Barry Diller on a new venture.

“The Internet puts people like politicians out of business.” Former Governor of Vermont and chairman of the Democratic National Party Howard Dean, explaining how new tools on the web like Twitter have disrupted the political game.

Did you notice something missing from this Power Point list? Women. We had some top women in tech with us at Brainstorm–Google’s (GOOG) Marissa Mayer, Ning CEO Gina Bianchini, Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior–but guys dominated the stage and uttered the most provocative lines. Calling Carol Bartz! The Yahoo CEO, along with a tremendous lineup of leaders, will be with us at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit this coming September.

About the Author
By Jessica Shambora
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

todd
LawAntitrust
Biden’s DOJ sued a data company, accusing it of helping Big Meat fix prices. Trump’s DOJ is about to settle
By Alanna Durkin Richer and The Associated PressMay 11, 2026
2 minutes ago
bangla
EnergyIran
Iran War is more than inconvenient for Bangladesh as millions consider leaving urban life to move back to the village
By Julhas Alam and The Associated PressMay 11, 2026
6 minutes ago
aramco
EnergyMarkets
Saudia Aramco reports 25% jump in Q1 profit as Iran War reshapes oil market
By The Associated PressMay 11, 2026
11 minutes ago
devil
Arts & EntertainmentBox office
‘Mortal Kombat II’ is no match for a Devil wearing Prada in box office close call
By Lindsey Bahr and The Associated PressMay 11, 2026
18 minutes ago
gas
EconomyElections
Oregon Democrats have genius political strategy: raising the gas tax heading into the midterm elections
By Claire Rush and The Associated PressMay 11, 2026
23 minutes ago
iran
PoliticsIran
Trump says ceasefire is on ‘life support’ after Iran’s latest nuclear offer was ‘garbage’
By Jon Gambrell, Seung Min Kim, Samy Magdy and The Associated PressMay 11, 2026
29 minutes ago

Most Popular

‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
Economy
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
By Jacqueline MunisMay 10, 2026
1 day ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
Tech
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
1 day ago
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
Success
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 9, 2026
2 days ago
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
2 days ago
Trump thinks he's flying to Beijing with leverage. China spent 6 years making sure he doesn't have any
Commentary
Trump thinks he's flying to Beijing with leverage. China spent 6 years making sure he doesn't have any
By Steve H. HankeMay 10, 2026
1 day ago
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
Politics
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.