When I see people laughing at ideas and companies we have backed

Hear the words of Fred Wilson: “When I see people laughing at ideas and companies we have backed, I smile. It means we are going to make a lot of money on that investment.” These words, born in the world of venture capital, carry within them the timeless wisdom of contrarian vision. For the multitude often mocks what it does not yet understand. The smile Wilson describes is not arrogance, but recognition: when the crowd laughs, it reveals blindness, and where blindness reigns, opportunity lies hidden for the bold to seize.

The ancients spoke often of this pattern. In the dialogues of Socrates, the philosopher was mocked by many in Athens for his questions, for his refusal to accept convention. Yet in time, the same wisdom that once drew laughter became the foundation of Western thought. So too in business and invention: the ideas that first provoke ridicule are often those that later overturn empires of mediocrity. Wilson’s smile is thus the smile of one who knows the rhythm of history—that ridicule often precedes reverence.

Consider the tale of the Wright brothers. When they first dreamed of flying machines, the world laughed. Learned men scoffed, declaring that humans were not meant to conquer the skies. Newspapers mocked their experiments. Yet within a few short years, the same world that ridiculed them would be transformed by their wings. Those who might have invested in their vision at the moment of laughter would have reaped rewards beyond imagining. Wilson’s words echo this truth: the laughter of others is often the herald of future triumph.

There is power in ridicule, for it discourages the faint-hearted. Many abandon their dreams when the world laughs. But the wise learn to see laughter as a veil, hiding treasure beneath. The smile Wilson speaks of is the sign of the courageous investor, the believer in the unseen, the one who endures mockery today to stand in vindication tomorrow. It is the wisdom of those who do not follow the herd, but walk the lonely path of conviction.

Yet let us also remember that not all mockery hides gold. Discernment is the key. To laugh at every idea is folly, but to invest blindly in every rejected vision is ruin. The true strength lies in perceiving which ridiculed dreams carry within them the spark of inevitability. This requires wisdom, patience, and faith—not only in the idea, but in the people behind it. The smile must be joined with judgment, lest it become folly disguised as courage.

The lesson for us is clear: do not fear the laughter of others. If your vision is mocked, if your dream is doubted, take heart. History has shown that every revolution begins as absurdity in the eyes of the crowd. Learn, as Fred Wilson did, to smile at the ridicule. Let it be fuel for persistence, proof that you are walking where others fear to tread. The greatest wealth—whether of money, of wisdom, or of spirit—is often found in the places where the crowd dares not look.

So let this wisdom endure: when the world mocks your vision, do not despair. Be steadfast, be patient, and be bold. For often the laughter of today is the applause of tomorrow, and the smile of the one who believes is the first step toward triumph. As with the philosophers, the inventors, the builders of new worlds, so too in your life: let ridicule be the compass that points you toward hidden greatness.