Business Quote by Chip Heath
““Say your husband wants to start a business creating topiary sculptures for clients. You think the idea is bonkers, but you admire his passion, so it seems cruel to veto it. Instead, set a tripwire. Okay, dear, let’s give the topiary-sculpture business a shot, but can we agree that we won’t invest more than $10,000 of our savings in it? Alternatively, you might say: Go for it, but if you don’t have a paying customer within three months, let’s talk seriously about Plan B.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Made to Stick, 2008
Suggests setting clear limits on support for a partner’s risky venture to balance encouragement and risk.
In simple terms: Set boundaries when backing a risky idea.
Key Takeaway
Define limits and milestones for support.
Themes
relationships
entrepreneurship
risk
communication
Mood
practical
supportive
Type
advice
relationship
When to use this quote
- marriage
- startup planning
- financial budgeting
Key Concepts
decision‑making
boundary‑setting
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you communicate limits without discouraging?
- What criteria define a successful trial?
A Different Perspective
May strain trust if limits feel restrictive.
![“[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)