Business Quote by Derek Thompson
““Imitating recent successes is a game that everybody knows how to play. But seeing the next big thing before anybody else sees it is far more valuable... It means being a little bit wrong at just the right time.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Rise of the Creative Class, Derek Thompson, 2015
Copying others' successes is easy, but spotting future trends early gives a strategic edge, even if it involves occasional missteps.
In simple terms: Seeing trends early is more valuable than copying.
Key Takeaway
Embrace early insight, accept occasional errors.
Themes
innovation
trendspotting
risk
strategy
Mood
optimistic
strategic
Type
advisory
inspirational
When to use this quote
- startup investment
- product development
- market analysis
- career planning
Key Concepts
first‑mover advantage
prediction
creative risk
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance early risk with potential reward?
- What signals indicate a true emerging trend?
A Different Perspective
Early insight can be costly if predictions fail.
![“[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)