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Reid Hoffman called Settlers of Catan “the board game of entrepreneurship” during a 2017 interview, pointing to its mix of building, resource gathering, trading and strategic decisions under uncertainty. It is his analogy—not evidence that playing Catan makes someone a better entrepreneur.
What did Reid Hoffman say about Catan?
At the Tech Alliance’s annual luncheon in Seattle, Hoffman spoke with tech executive and angel investor Sarah Imbach. In a lightning round, Imbach asked him to choose between Settlers of Catan and Trumped Up Cards. Hoffman chose Catan, praised its design and said: “I think ‘Settlers of Catan’ is such a well-designed board game — it’s the board game of entrepreneurship — that I made a knockoff called ‘Startups of Silicon Valley.’” GeekWire reported the exchange on May 5, 2017.
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Hoffman said his private reskin used the same rules and that he did not sell it. The phrase was a personal description in an event interview, not an official designation for the game.
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Why does he see entrepreneurship in the game?
In Catan, players gather resources, build roads and settlements, and trade with one another while adapting to changing circumstances. Hoffman’s comparison is about the decisions those mechanics invite: players have to plan what to build, negotiate for what they lack, and adjust when outcomes do not go as expected.
#1 Best Overall
- 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
Gathering resources and using them to expand is one parallel Hoffman draws with developing a venture: both involve making choices about how to use limited inputs. This is an analogy about the shape of the decisions, not a claim that game resources map neatly onto real business resources.
Trading and negotiation
Players can make trades and form alliances, so progress may depend on persuading others as well as managing their own resources. Inc.’s August 9, 2025 account connects Hoffman’s comparison to collaboration, trading and negotiation.
Rank #2
- GREAT VALUE CATAN BUNDLE: Includes the classic CATAN base game plus the 5–6 Player Expansion, allowing larger groups to enjoy the full strategy and trading experience together.
- EXPAND YOUR PLAYER COUNT: Seamlessly add up to 6 players for bigger game nights, making it perfect for families, parties, and social gatherings.
- TRADE BUILD SETTLE STRATEGY GAMEPLAY: Compete to build roads, settlements, and cities while trading resources and outsmarting opponents in this award-winning board game.
- HIGH REPLAY VALUE & VARIABLE SETUP: Modular board ensures every game is different, offering endless replayability and strategic depth for beginners and experienced players alike.
- PERFECT FOR GAME NIGHTS & GIFTING: Ideal for teens and adults ages 10+, this bundle is a must-have for board game enthusiasts, party hosts, and CATAN fans looking to expand gameplay.
Uncertainty and changing plans
Random outcomes and incomplete information mean players cannot know everything that will happen or what others will do. Hoffman’s analogy includes responding to that uncertainty and adapting a strategy rather than following a fixed plan. The Inc. account also describes the game as involving partial information and random outcomes.
Is Catan a proven way to become a better entrepreneur?
No. The cited reporting presents Hoffman’s view of the game and its strategic features; it does not establish that playing Catan improves entrepreneurial performance or startup outcomes. Hoffman has also described games more generally as a way to engage with strategic thinking, but using a game and applying lessons in a different setting are separate things. A transcript page attributed to Hoffman elaborates on building, trading, negotiation, resource gathering and randomness; its publication date and provenance are not established here.
Rank #3
- EXPLORE CATAN: Set sail to the uncharted island of Catan and compete with other settlers to establish supremacy.
- RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Strategically gather and trade resources like ore, brick, lumber, grain, and wool to expand your settlements.
- BUILD AND UPGRADE: Use your resources to build roads, settlements, and cities to earn victory points.
- DYNAMIC GAMEPLAY: Roll the dice to collect resources based on terrain hexes, and employ clever tactics to outmaneuver your opponents.
- CLASSIC GAME: Celebrate the 25th anniversary of CATAN, a timeless strategy board game loved by players worldwide.
What is the context behind Hoffman’s interest in Catan?
Hoffman’s comments are not framed only as business instruction. The World Economic Forum, in a 2017 article published in collaboration with Business Insider, reported him describing Catan as the board game closest to entrepreneurship and noted that he regularly played board games socially. That account suggests the appeal also includes spending time together and conversation. World Economic Forum’s report provides that broader context.
Inc.’s 2025 article discusses Hoffman’s conversation with Benjamin and Guido Teuber, and reports that their father created the game. It also reports that Catan first appeared in Germany before reaching the U.S. market in 1997. These are historical details as reported by Inc., rather than the basis for Hoffman’s analogy.
Rank #4
- 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 can you try the game he meant?
The relevant starting point is the CATAN base board game, the game Hoffman discussed as Settlers of Catan. The analogy concerns the core gameplay features described above; the cited accounts do not establish that an expansion or accessory is needed to understand it.
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Best Value
- DEFEND CATAN FROM INVADERS: Transform your thriving settlements into majestic cities while mustering brave knights to protect against marauding invaders.
- ENHANCE YOUR CATAN GAME: Adds depth and strategy to the classic CATAN experience with new challenges, resources, and gameplay mechanics.
- BUILD AN ARMY OF KNIGHTS: Recruit, train, and deploy knights to safeguard your cities and the island, adding a layer of tactical planning to every turn.
- EXPAND YOUR CIVILIZATION: Balance city development with military strength as you race to advance your society while fending off invaders.
- REQUIRES BASE GAME: This is an expansion for the CATAN 6th Edition base game and is designed for 3-4 players, ages 12 and up, offering 90+ minutes of engaging gameplay.
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