---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look, you should wake up worried…"
description: "\"“Look, you should wake up worried, terrified every morning,” he told his employees. “But don’t be worried about our competitors because they ' re never..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/brad-stone-2853_every-morning_look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrifie_35876.jpg"
---

#  Look, you should wake up worried, terrified every…

![“Look, you should wake up worried, terrified every morning,” he told his employees. “But don’t be worried about our competitors because they ' re never going to send us any money anyway. Let’s be worried about our customers and stay heads-down focused.” quote by Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/brad-stone-2853_every-morning_look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrifie_35876.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/brad-stone-2853_every-morning_look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrifie_35876.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/brad-stone-2853_every-morning_look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrifie_35876.jpg)

> ““Look, you should wake up worried, terrified every morning,” he told his employees. “But don’t be worried about our competitors because they ' re never going to send us any money anyway. Let’s be worried about our customers and stay heads-down focused.””

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

## About This Quote

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

Prioritize genuine customer needs over imagined competitor threats; focus on delivering value rather than fearing external pressures.

**In simple terms:** Customer focus beats competitor anxiety.

Key Takeaway

Serve customers, not rivals.

Themes

customer centricity strategic focus risk management leadership business priorities

Mood

determined pragmatic focused

Type

advice leadership insight

When to use this quote

- startup leadership
- product development meetings
- sales strategy sessions
- team briefings

Key Concepts

value creation market perception

Practical Applications

- customer research prioritization
- internal communication alignment

Questions to Reflect On

- How does competitor fear distract from core value?
- What steps ensure customer needs stay front‑and‑center?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Every morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-morning/) [Let Worried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-worried-440916/) [Wake Worried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-worried-440915/) [Worried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worried/) [Worried Competitors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worried-competitors-440914/) [Worried Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worried-customers-440913/)

## Related quotes

> [“Later Bezos recalled speaking at an all-hands meeting called to address the assault by Barnes &amp; Noble. “Look, you should wake up worried, terrified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/later-bezos-recalled-speaking-at-an-all-hands-meeting-called-to/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [We worried about competitors, but it was an unreasonable fear. As a friend once pointed out, most gunshot wounds are self-inflicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-greenspun/we-worried-about-competitors-but-it-was-an-unreasonable-fear-as-a/)

[Philip Greenspun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-greenspun/)

> [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Every morning when I pick up the newspaper and read about an earthquake in Japan or problems in European financial institutions, the first question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-schapiro/every-morning-when-i-pick-up-the-newspaper-and-read-about-an/)

[Mary Schapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-schapiro/)

> [“Whatand why were never questions for me. How was the only question. When I look back now, I realize that I never thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/whatand-why-were-never-questions-for-me-how-was-the-only-question/)

[Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/)

> [I may be forty, but every morning when I get up, I feel like a twenty-year-old. Unfortunately, there's never one around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/i-may-be-forty-but-every-morning-when-i-get-up-i-feel-like-a-twenty/)

[Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/)

> [ To keep my head healthy, \[I'm\] trying to meditate every morning, which is something I'm sort of getting into more, realizing that it's really… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-richards/to-keep-my-head-healthy-i-m-trying-to-meditate-every-morning-which-is/)

[Erin Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-richards/)

> [I believe there should be a better way to start each day...instead of waking up every morning...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-there-should-be-a-better-way-to-start-each-day-instead-of/)

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

> [“I once asked you what anxiety felt like, and you told me that most days left you riddled with bullet holes. Every morning came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-s/i-once-asked-you-what-anxiety-felt-like-and-you-told-me-that-most/)

[d.a.s](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-s/)

> [“Every morning I sit at the kitchen table over a tall glass of water swallowing pills. (So my hands won’t shake.) (So my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanann-verlee/every-morning-i-sit-at-the-kitchen-table-over-a-tall-glass-of-water/)

[Jeanann Verlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanann-verlee/)

> [I wake up every morning fearing I am going to fail. But I love a challenge, big or small. There's so much I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mone/i-wake-up-every-morning-fearing-i-am-going-to-fail-but-i-love-a/)

[Michelle Mone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mone/)

> [“A lot of habitually creative people have preparation rituals linked to the setting in which they choose to start their day. By putting themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/a-lot-of-habitually-creative-people-have-preparation-rituals-linked/)

[Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/)

> [“Scheduling should be done several times each day, beginning the night before and continuing at additional times the next day. Prioritize your assignments, exams,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-porter-thomas/scheduling-should-be-done-several-times-each-day-beginning-the-night/)

[Caroline Porter Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-porter-thomas/)

> [“I believe in forever, and that’s what you and I are. We define eternity. This may sound cheesy, but you make me go there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-mchugh/i-believe-in-forever-and-that-s-what-you-and-i-are-we-define-eternity/)

[Gail McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-mchugh/)

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

## More by Brad Stone

> [“There was little science to Amazon’s earliest distribution methods. The company held no inventory itself at first. When a customer bought a book, Amazon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/there-was-little-science-to-amazon-s-earliest-distribution-methods/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“They agreed on five core values and wrote them down on a whiteboard in a conference room: customer obsession, frugality, bias for action, ownership,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/they-agreed-on-five-core-values-and-wrote-them-down-on-a-whiteboard/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“In a world where consumers had limited choice, you needed to compete for locations,” says Ross, who went on to cofound eCommera, a British…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/in-a-world-where-consumers-had-limited-choice-you-needed-to-compete/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“The first week after the official launch, they took $12,000 in orders and shipped $846 worth of books, according to Eric Dillon, one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/the-first-week-after-the-official-launch-they-took-12-000-in-orders/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“point of view is worth 80 IQ points”—a”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/point-of-view-is-worth-80-iq-points-a/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“Amazon may be the most beguiling company that ever existed, and it is just getting started. It is both missionary and mercenary, and throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/amazon-may-be-the-most-beguiling-company-that-ever-existed-and-it-is/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [We see Google experimenting in so many places outside of its core search and advertising business, whether that's bringing broadband Internet to the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/we-see-google-experimenting-in-so-many-places-outside-of-its-core/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“The production philosophy pioneered by Toyota calls for a focus on those activities that create value for the customer and the systematic eradication of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/the-production-philosophy-pioneered-by-toyota-calls-for-a-focus-on/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“Apple’s founder reportedly fired employees in the elevator and screamed at underperforming executives. Perhaps there is something endemic in the fast-paced technology business that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/apple-s-founder-reportedly-fired-employees-in-the-elevator-and/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“Just as Clayton Christensen had predicted in The Innovator’s Dilemma, technological innovation caused wrenching pain to the company and the broader industry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/just-as-clayton-christensen-had-predicted-in-the-innovator-s-dilemma/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“Eric Benson took about two weeks to construct a preliminary version that grouped together customers who had similar purchasing histories and then found books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/eric-benson-took-about-two-weeks-to-construct-a-preliminary-version/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [There's a new set of transformative technologies such as machine learning, AI, and virtual reality that will spawn another set of big tech franchises.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/there-s-a-new-set-of-transformative-technologies-such-as-machine/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“the people closest to problems were usually in the best position to solve them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/the-people-closest-to-problems-were-usually-in-the-best-position-to/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“Bezos is a fan of e-mail newsletters such as VSL.com, a daily assortment of cultural tidbits from the Web, and Cool Tools, a compendium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/bezos-is-a-fan-of-e-mail-newsletters-such-as-vsl-com-a-daily/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

> [“Bezos wanted to personally approve each equation and track the results over time. It would be his way of guiding a team’s evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/bezos-wanted-to-personally-approve-each-equation-and-track-the/)

[Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

[Explore all 141 Brad Stone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/)

## More Every morning quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [“I believe in forever, and that’s what you and I are. We define eternity. This may sound cheesy, but you make me go there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-mchugh/i-believe-in-forever-and-that-s-what-you-and-i-are-we-define-eternity/)

[Gail McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-mchugh/)

> [“Scheduling should be done several times each day, beginning the night before and continuing at additional times the next day. Prioritize your assignments, exams,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-porter-thomas/scheduling-should-be-done-several-times-each-day-beginning-the-night/)

[Caroline Porter Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-porter-thomas/)

> [“A lot of habitually creative people have preparation rituals linked to the setting in which they choose to start their day. By putting themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/a-lot-of-habitually-creative-people-have-preparation-rituals-linked/)

[Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/)

> [I wake up every morning fearing I am going to fail. But I love a challenge, big or small. There's so much I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mone/i-wake-up-every-morning-fearing-i-am-going-to-fail-but-i-love-a/)

[Michelle Mone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mone/)

> [“Every morning I sit at the kitchen table over a tall glass of water swallowing pills. (So my hands won’t shake.) (So my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanann-verlee/every-morning-i-sit-at-the-kitchen-table-over-a-tall-glass-of-water/)

[Jeanann Verlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanann-verlee/)

> [“I once asked you what anxiety felt like, and you told me that most days left you riddled with bullet holes. Every morning came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-s/i-once-asked-you-what-anxiety-felt-like-and-you-told-me-that-most/)

[d.a.s](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-s/)

> [I believe there should be a better way to start each day...instead of waking up every morning...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-there-should-be-a-better-way-to-start-each-day-instead-of/)

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

> [ To keep my head healthy, \[I'm\] trying to meditate every morning, which is something I'm sort of getting into more, realizing that it's really… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-richards/to-keep-my-head-healthy-i-m-trying-to-meditate-every-morning-which-is/)

[Erin Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-richards/)

> [I may be forty, but every morning when I get up, I feel like a twenty-year-old. Unfortunately, there's never one around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/i-may-be-forty-but-every-morning-when-i-get-up-i-feel-like-a-twenty/)

[Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/)

> [“Whatand why were never questions for me. How was the only question. When I look back now, I realize that I never thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/whatand-why-were-never-questions-for-me-how-was-the-only-question/)

[Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/)

> [Every morning when I pick up the newspaper and read about an earthquake in Japan or problems in European financial institutions, the first question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-schapiro/every-morning-when-i-pick-up-the-newspaper-and-read-about-an/)

[Mary Schapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-schapiro/)

> [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“If I could just get my partner to see me how she used to - to fall in love with me all over again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/if-i-could-just-get-my-partner-to-see-me-how-she-used-to-to-fall-in/)

[Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/)

> [Fiction and non-fiction are only different techniques of story telling. For reasons I do not fully understand, fiction dances out of me. Non-fiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/fiction-and-non-fiction-are-only-different-techniques-of-story/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

[Browse all 1,986 Every morning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-morning/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Look, you should wake up worried, terrified every morning,” he told his employees. “But don’t be worried about our competitors because they ' re never going to send us any money anyway. Let’s be worried about our customers and stay heads-down focused.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Brad Stone"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrified-every-morning-he-told-his/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Every morning"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrified-every-morning-he-told-his/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/brad-stone-2853_every-morning_look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrifie_35876.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/brad-stone-2853_every-morning_look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrifie_35876.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/brad-stone-2853_every-morning_look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrifie_35876.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Look, you should wake up worried, terrified every morning,” he told his employees. “But don’t be worried…” — Brad Stone",
                "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": "Brad Stone",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Look, you should wake up worried,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrified-every-morning-he-told-his/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/look-you-should-wake-up-worried-terrified-every-morning-he-told-his/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
