In this world very few leaps of progress arrive…

““In this world very few leaps of progress arrive exclusively as benefits””

Jason Fried

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Progress often comes with trade‑offs; benefits rarely arrive without costs.

In simple terms: Progress has costs; benefits aren't free.

Key Takeaway

Weigh benefits against hidden costs.

Themes

progress trade‑offs benefits realism

Mood

analytical pragmatic

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

product development
policy making
investment decisions
technology adoption

Key Concepts

Economics innovation

Questions to Reflect On

What hidden costs accompany your latest breakthrough?
Are you prepared to address them?

A Different Perspective

Ignoring costs can lead to unsustainable growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

Growth Progress

More by Jason Fried

“If no one’s upset by what you’re saying, you’re probably not pushing hard enough. (And you’re probably boring, too.)”

Jason Fried

“Ironically, you’ll probably get far more done when only half of your workday overlaps with the rest of your team. Instead of spending the…

Jason Fried

“Also, don’t be timid about your conclusions. Sometimes abandoning what you’re working on is the right move, even if you’ve already put in a…

Jason Fried

“If you constantly fret about timing things perfectly, they'll never happen.”

Jason Fried

The best feature of a product should really be the customer service.

Jason Fried

“remote work has opened the door to a new era of freedom and luxury. A brave new world beyond the industrial-age belief in The…

Jason Fried

“Smart people in white coats have extensively studied commuting—this supposedly necessary part of our days—and the verdict is in: long commutes make you fat,…

Jason Fried

“Policies are organizational scar tissue. They are codified overreactions to situations that are unlikely to happen again. They are collective punishment for the misdeeds…

Jason Fried

“What you do is what matters, not what you think or say or plan.”

Jason Fried

“Find a judo solution, one that delivers maximum efficiency with minimum effort. When good enough gets the job done, go for it.”

Jason Fried

“If you're opening a hot dog stand, you could worry about the condiments, the cart, the name, the decoration. But the first thing you…

Jason Fried

“It's easy to shoot down good ideas, interesting policies, or worthwhile experiments by assuming that whatever you decide now needs to work for years…

Jason Fried

“pulling seven people away from their work for an hour is worth seven hours of lost productivity.”

Jason Fried

“Whenever you can, swap “Let’s think about it” for “Let’s decide on it.” Commit to making decisions. Don’t wait for the perfect solution. Decide…

Jason Fried

“As Sir Richard Branson commented in his ode to working remotely: “To successfully work with other people, you have to trust each other. A…

Jason Fried

Explore all 145 Jason Fried quotes

More Growth quotes

My coach, Robert Allen, helped me a lot. He had more influence on my growth as a player than anyone else.

LaMarcus Aldridge

“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”

Phil Hogan

Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…

Christopher Bond

During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.

Herbert Spencer

“I urge you: don't cut short these thought-trains of yours. Follow them through to their end. Your thoughts and your feelings. Follow them through…

J.M. Coetzee

“Economic growth continued by means of a succession of new products which found growing and ultimately massive demand. Some of the new products were…

Edward A. Hudson

“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…

Oli Anderson

If you learn something that changes you, you've made progress. If you learn something that changes others, you've helped change the world.

Lanie Lane

“SILENT LIKE SLEEP You appear by my side, silent like sleep. Soft hair, a little wild. No fear, gentle like a calm river. I…

Donna Goddard

Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…

James Boswell