In order to access private capital, you have to provide competitive return on investment. In order to give competitive returns to investors, you've got to operate on a profitable basis and be thinking of yourself as a business. Pierre Omidyar accessbasisbusiness share on social
eBay's business is based on enabling someone to do business with another person, and to do that, they first have to develop some measure of trust, either in the other person or the system. Pierre Omidyar basebusinessdevelop Change image and share on social
Technologists come at a problem from the point of view that the system is working a certain way, and if I engage in that system and actually change the rules of the system, I can make it work a different way. Pierre Omidyar changeengagemake share on social
In 1991, I co-founded my first start-up, Ink Development, which made software for an early tablet computer. Pierre Omidyar computerdevelopmentearly Change image and share on social
In February of 1996, about six months after I created eBay, I started receiving a spate of complaints. Everyone was complaining about each other. I felt very much like I was a parent who had to adjudicate the brothers beating each other up. Pierre Omidyar adjudicatebeatbrother share on social
Everyone is born equally capable but lacks equal opportunity. Pierre Omidyar bearcapableequal Change image and share on social
As a philanthropist, I try to help people take ownership. Everything I've done is rooted in the notion that every human being is born equally capable. What people lack is equal opportunity. Pierre Omidyar bearcapableequal Change image and share on social
Companies in Silicon Valley invest a lot in understanding their users and what drives user engagement. Pierre Omidyar companydriveengagement Change image and share on social
My dad was a physician. As a kid, I remember driving around with him on weekends so he could do his rounds at the hospital and talk to patients. We'd spend time in the car talking about what was going on with them, their stories. Pierre Omidyar cardaddrive share on social
I have always been of the opinion that the right kind of journalism is a critical part of our democracy. Pierre Omidyar criticaldemocracyjournalism Change image and share on social
