Business Quote by Andy Grove
“Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Intel Leadership Talk, 1999
Success can lead to complacency, which breeds failure; only constant vigilance ensures survival.
In simple terms: Success → complacency → failure; stay vigilant.
Key Takeaway
Maintain humility and continuous improvement.
Themes
success
complacency
paranoia
Mood
cautious
motivational
Type
leadership
philosophical
When to use this quote
- business strategy
- personal development
- team management
Key Concepts
growth mindset
risk management
leadership
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you guard against complacency?
- When is vigilance excessive?
A Different Perspective
Paranoia can become paranoia if not balanced.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)