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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Reid Hoffman called Settlers of Catan “the board game of entrepreneurship” in a 2017 interview—not because evidence shows that playing it makes someone a better founder, but because its resource choices, negotiations, uncertainty and changing strategies resemble challenges he associates with building a business.
What did Reid Hoffman say about Catan?
At a Tech Alliance luncheon in Seattle, Hoffman spoke with tech executive and angel investor Sarah Imbach. In a lightning round, she asked him to choose between Settlers of Catan and Trumped Up Cards. He chose Catan, praised its design and described it as “the board game of entrepreneurship,” according to GeekWire’s May 5, 2017 event report.
Hoffman also said he had made a private reskin called Startups of Silicon Valley, using the same rules, and that he did not sell it. The phrase was his analogy in an interview, not an official designation of the game or a research finding.
Why does he see an entrepreneurship analogy?
In Catan, players gather resources, build roads and settlements, and negotiate trades while responding to changing conditions. In a 2025 Inc. account, Hoffman connected the game to partial information, collaboration, random outcomes, trading and adapting a strategy. Players must make choices without knowing exactly how the game will unfold.
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- EXPLORE THE ISLAND OF CATAN: Settle the uninhabited island of Catan by gathering resources, building infrastructure, and nurturing trade relationships.
- STRATEGY AND COMPETITION: Compete with 2-3 opponents to expand your settlements and cities while managing resources and avoiding the robber.
- TRADE, BUILD, AND SETTLE: Use brick, wood, wheat, ore, and sheep to construct roads, settlements, and cities in your race to 10 victory points.
- REPLAYABLE AND ENGAGING: With a modular hexagonal board, no two games are the same, offering endless strategic opportunities and replayability.
- FOR FAMILIES AND STRATEGY ENTHUSIASTS: Designed for 3-4 players, ages 10 and up, CATAN 6th Edition is perfect for family game nights and friendly competition. Add the CATAN 5-6 Player Extension (sold separately) to expand your game to 5-6 players.
- Resources and building: Players must acquire what they need to develop their position, echoing the challenge of using limited resources to build something.
- Trading and negotiation: Exchanges depend on what other players want and are willing to give, making interaction part of the strategy.
- Uncertainty: Random outcomes and incomplete information can change which choices make sense.
- Adapting: A plan may need to change as the board and other players’ moves develop.
These are parallels, not a claim that a board game reproduces the financial, legal or operational realities of starting a company. The World Economic Forum’s 2017 article, published in collaboration with Business Insider, also places Hoffman’s interest in a social context: he was described as a regular player who enjoys games as a way to spend time and talk with others.
Does playing Catan improve your chances as an entrepreneur?
The cited accounts do not establish that playing Catan causes better business or startup outcomes. Hoffman has described games as a way to engage with strategic thinking, but applying anything learned in a game to a business is a separate step. The analogy can help explain how he thinks about decisions under uncertainty; it is not evidence that the game functions as a proven entrepreneurship course.
Rank #2
- EXPANDS YOUR GAMEPLAY: This is an official 5-6 player expansion for the CATAN 6th Edition board game. It adds the necessary components to allow 2 additional players to join the race for settlements, increasing the total player count to 3-6 people.
- NOT A STANDALONE GAME: This is an add-on expansion only; you MUST own the CATAN 6th Edition Base Game (sold separately) to play. This set includes 28 terrain hexes, 25 resource cards, 9 development cards, and two full sets of wooden player pieces (brown and green).
- SOCIAL STRATEGY: Perfect for deepening the CATAN experience; more players mean more trading opportunities, more competition for resources, and a larger island map to explore, making every turn more dynamic and interactive.
- HOLIDAY & PARTY GAME: The perfect solution for family reunions, holiday gift exchanges, or weekend game nights where you have more than four players—ensuring no one is left out of the fun during winter evenings or summer celebrations.
- FAMILY & FRIENDS: Designed for groups of 3-6 players, ages 10 and up. A must-have for the living room board game shelf, this expansion allows CATAN fans to host larger social gatherings and competitive gaming sessions at home.
How to try the game Hoffman discussed
The directly relevant option is the CATAN base board game, the game Hoffman called Settlers of Catan. The cited reporting does not establish that an expansion or accessory is necessary to understand his analogy. Inc. reports that Catan first appeared in Germany and reached the U.S. market in 1997; that date is historical context, not a statement about current editions or availability.
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Rank #4
- Tons of replay value
- Great family fun
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- New Packaging & Tiles!!
- Full Color Rules Book
Rank #3
- Add a blue disc to block opponents and lift discs higher
- Features blue Blocker Disc: This game includes blue Blocker Disc that open doors to new strategies
- Features blue Blocker Dics: this game includes blue Blocker Dics that open doors to new strategies
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