Firsts Quote by David Rees
“I never thought I would make a living as a pencil-sharpener. The first goal was: I don't want to lose money. And then the goal was: I want to see if 100 people buy my pencils. I just kept upping the benchmarks.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Economist, 2015
He describes setting incremental financial and sales targets to grow a modest business despite initial doubts.
In simple terms: He set small goals to build a business.
Key Takeaway
Set measurable milestones and keep raising them.
Themes
entrepreneurship
goal setting
perseverance
Mood
determined
optimistic
Type
motivational
practical
When to use this quote
- starting a side hustle
- selling products
- tracking revenue
- scaling a small business
Key Concepts
incremental growth
benchmarking
risk management
Questions to Reflect On
- What small benchmark can you set today?
- How do you balance profit and growth?
A Different Perspective
Success depends on market demand, not just personal ambition.
![“Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and the screenplay of Simon (Beaufoy) and I was reading it, even before the shoot, some kind of sounds came into my mind and I put some stuff [down] and sent it to…” quote by A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/a-r-rahman-4481_cutting_since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-o_539.jpg)
