---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's no way you can predict what is…"
description: "\"There's no way you can predict what is going to happen in six months or two years in most businesses, and certainly not for businesses that are growing..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/barry-diller-12069_business_there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-g_2395337.png"
---

#  There's no way you can predict what is going to happen in…

![“There's no way you can predict what is going to happen in six months or two years in most businesses, and certainly not for businesses that are growing at the rate that we have grown.” quote by Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/barry-diller-12069_business_there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-g_2395337.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/barry-diller-12069_business_there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-g_2395337.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/barry-diller-12069_business_there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-g_2395337.png)

> “There's no way you can predict what is going to happen in six months or two years in most businesses, and certainly not for businesses that are growing at the rate that we have grown.”

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

## About This Quote

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

Rapid growth makes long‑term predictions unreliable because conditions change faster than forecasts can keep up.

**In simple terms:** Fast growth makes future planning hard.

Key Takeaway

Plan flexibly and revisit forecasts often.

Themes

business uncertainty growth forecasting adaptability

Mood

pragmatic cautious

Type

strategic motivational

When to use this quote

- startup scaling
- investment decisions
- product development
- market entry strategies

Key Concepts

economics strategic planning risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- What mechanisms can we embed to adapt to sudden change?
- How often should forecasts be updated?

A Different Perspective

Even flexible plans can be disrupted by unforeseen events.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Businesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businesses/)

## Related quotes

> [The Opportunity Divide doesn't just keep our students disconnected from the mainstream economy; it prevents our businesses from growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-chertavian/the-opportunity-divide-doesn-t-just-keep-our-students-disconnected/)

[Gerald Chertavian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-chertavian/)

> [Over the past five years, our businesses have created more than 11 million new jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/over-the-past-five-years-our-businesses-have-created-more-than-11/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [“For many small businesses, growing in size is a distraction. Because I value my free time and wanted balance in my life, I chose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fast-company/for-many-small-businesses-growing-in-size-is-a-distraction-because-i/)

Fast Company

> [It's easy to grow 300% in your first year or two, when you're starting with nothing and people first hear about your service. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-kelman/it-s-easy-to-grow-300-in-your-first-year-or-two-when-you-re-starting/)

[Glenn Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-kelman/)

> [The Chinese economy is growing at the rate of 9 percent; the Indian economy growing at the rate of 8 percent - enormous I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manmohan-singh/the-chinese-economy-is-growing-at-the-rate-of-9-percent-the-indian/)

[Manmohan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manmohan-singh/)

> [We're never pleased when our ratings aren't growing at the rate we would like, but we understand that circumstances will always have us going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-france/we-re-never-pleased-when-our-ratings-aren-t-growing-at-the-rate-we/)

[Brian France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-france/)

> [If we're going to talk about our businesses, we're going to have to talk about them within the constraints of the disclosure rules, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/if-we-re-going-to-talk-about-our-businesses-we-re-going-to-have-to/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [What interests me is starting businesses on our own, finding ideas that we can support, and simply investing in invention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/what-interests-me-is-starting-businesses-on-our-own-finding-ideas/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [The directories businesses still make nothing but money. They're overleveraged, they're bankrupt entities, but they still are the largest. This is all going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/the-directories-businesses-still-make-nothing-but-money-they-re/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [“If you want to predict how a politician will act after winning an election, look at how he currently lives and how he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haemin-sunim/if-you-want-to-predict-how-a-politician-will-act-after-winning-an/)

[Haemin Sunim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haemin-sunim/)

> [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/)

[Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/)

> [The key for scouting is trying to predict when the player is peaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-rodgers/the-key-for-scouting-is-trying-to-predict-when-the-player-is-peaking/)

[Brendan Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-rodgers/)

> [Nobody can predict the future; the idea is to have a firm grasp of the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/nobody-can-predict-the-future-the-idea-is-to-have-a-firm-grasp-of-the/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

> [I've learned that you can never predict what will happen to a film. You can never predict if people will love it, if they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-never-predict-what-will-happen-to-a-film/)

[James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/)

> [People who try to predict the future by extrapolating in a line of more of what exists - they are always wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/people-who-try-to-predict-the-future-by-extrapolating-in-a-line-of/)

[Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/)

## More by Barry Diller

> [Napster has pointed the way for a new direction for music distribution, and we believe it will form the basis of important and exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/napster-has-pointed-the-way-for-a-new-direction-for-music/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [I've not conducted my life in the service of smallness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/i-ve-not-conducted-my-life-in-the-service-of-smallness/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [I don't have answers for anybody else. What I know is that internal complexity makes for superficiality. There's never essentially a pure story unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/i-don-t-have-answers-for-anybody-else-what-i-know-is-that-internal/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [Sometimes it seems like there's more footnotes than text. This isn't something we're proud of, and over time we'd like to see our footnotes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/sometimes-it-seems-like-there-s-more-footnotes-than-text-this-isn-t/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [Put one dumb foot in front of the other and course-correct as you go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/put-one-dumb-foot-in-front-of-the-other-and-course-correct-as-you-go/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [My opinion, young people go to the Internet. To the Internet distribution system right now, you put it up there and it's accessed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/my-opinion-young-people-go-to-the-internet-to-the-internet/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [The world is changing. Networks without a specific branding strategy will be killed. I envision a world of highly niched services and tightly run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/the-world-is-changing-networks-without-a-specific-branding-strategy/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [I like businesses in transition, first of all. If ever there were a business in transition, it is publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/i-like-businesses-in-transition-first-of-all-if-ever-there-were-a/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [I've always said AOL is great opportunity for somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/i-ve-always-said-aol-is-great-opportunity-for-somebody/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [What's happened to broadcasting is that broadcasting really used to be... it used to have a very clear public service quotient. And it's more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/what-s-happened-to-broadcasting-is-that-broadcasting-really-used-to/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [The idea of a company that's earning money, not losing money, that's not, let's say 'industrially endangered,' to have just cutbacks so they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/the-idea-of-a-company-that-s-earning-money-not-losing-money-that-s/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [The only way anyone's going to succeed is to build the product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/the-only-way-anyone-s-going-to-succeed-is-to-build-the-product/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [Broadcasting began, essentially, in the hands of very, very few players - actually two - and when television came along, there were two networks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/broadcasting-began-essentially-in-the-hands-of-very-very-few-players/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [Facebook's the real deal. Nobody can buy Facebook now. Everybody has taken an angle at it. But Facebook may be the place that organizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/facebook-s-the-real-deal-nobody-can-buy-facebook-now-everybody-has/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [People, me included, have a truly emotional thing about this iPad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/people-me-included-have-a-truly-emotional-thing-about-this-ipad/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

[Explore all 56 Barry Diller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]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,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There's no way you can predict what is going to happen in six months or two years in most businesses, and certainly not for businesses that are growing at the rate that we have grown.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barry Diller"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-going-to-happen-in-six-months/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-going-to-happen-in-six-months/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/barry-diller-12069_business_there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-g_2395337.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/barry-diller-12069_business_there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-g_2395337.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/barry-diller-12069_business_there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-g_2395337.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's no way you can predict what is going to happen in six months or two years in most businesses, and…” — Barry Diller",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Barry Diller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's no way you can predict...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-going-to-happen-in-six-months/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/there-s-no-way-you-can-predict-what-is-going-to-happen-in-six-months/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
