---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I actually don't think it matters how…"
description: "\"I actually don't think it matters how early or late you are as long as you hit critical mass.\" — Drew Houston"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/drew-houston-14131_critical_i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-ea_1120082.jpg"
---

#  I actually don't think it matters how early or late you…

![“I actually don't think it matters how early or late you are as long as you hit critical mass.” quote by Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/drew-houston-14131_critical_i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-ea_1120082.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/drew-houston-14131_critical_i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-ea_1120082.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/drew-houston-14131_critical_i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-ea_1120082.jpg)

> “I actually don't think it matters how early or late you are as long as you hit critical mass.”

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

## About This Quote

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

Success depends on gathering enough users or support, regardless of timing; reaching a critical mass is key.

**In simple terms:** Focus on building enough support, not timing.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize growth to reach critical mass.

Themes

growth strategy timing

Mood

determined strategic

Type

business motivational

When to use this quote

- product launch
- market entry
- user acquisition

Key Concepts

network effects critical mass

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines critical mass for your project?
- How can you accelerate reaching it?

A Different Perspective

Ignoring product quality can hinder growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Critical mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical-mass/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [“Let’s think back for a moment to the boring sermon. Sometimes the sermon we hear is boring because it went on for too long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/let-s-think-back-for-a-moment-to-the-boring-sermon-sometimes-the/)

[Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/)

> [It matters so much that from a very early age we encounter different kinds of different people, because that's what real life should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/it-matters-so-much-that-from-a-very-early-age-we-encounter-different/)

[Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/)

> [What usually happens is that when I'm nearing the end of one novel a vague idea about what I want to do next begins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/what-usually-happens-is-that-when-i-m-nearing-the-end-of-one-novel-a/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness. In this exquisitely connected world, it's never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/we-never-know-how-our-small-activities-will-affect-others-through-the/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [When a critical mass of people have the Bible and apply what it teaches in their lives, a nation is transformed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-cunningham/when-a-critical-mass-of-people-have-the-bible-and-apply-what-it/)

[Loren Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-cunningham/)

> [I think that you're smarter than we were, but we had two things: one is, in our naïveté we believed we could change the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-think-that-you-re-smarter-than-we-were-but-we-had-two-things-one-is/)

[Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/)

> ['The Lake of Dreams' grew gradually, over many years, elements and ideas accruing until they gained enough critical mass to become a novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/the-lake-of-dreams-grew-gradually-over-many-years-elements-and-ideas/)

[Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/)

> [I have always felt that perhaps women have sometimes almost embraced the same values as men, and the same character as men, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-have-always-felt-that-perhaps-women-have-sometimes-almost-embraced/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [I don't know if the books are making the world a much better place. I don't write with that objective. What I know is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-don-t-know-if-the-books-are-making-the-world-a-much-better-place-i/)

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

> [Unless you're willing to fight and refight the same battles until you go blue in the face, drive the people you work with nuts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/unless-you-re-willing-to-fight-and-refight-the-same-battles-until-you/)

[Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/)

> [Success in TV-showmaking is just a matter of being authentic and doing the best you can, and you hope that people watch it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walton-goggins/success-in-tv-showmaking-is-just-a-matter-of-being-authentic-and/)

[Walton Goggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walton-goggins/)

> [Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/ours-is-not-the-task-of-fixing-the-entire-world-all-at-once-but-of/)

[Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/)

> [Ignoring platforms that have gained critical mass is a great way to look slow and out-of-touch. Do not cling to nostalgia. Do not put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/ignoring-platforms-that-have-gained-critical-mass-is-a-great-way-to/)

[Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/)

> [Fulfilling the four needs in an integrated way is like combining elements in chemistry. When we reach a "critical mass" of integration, we experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/fulfilling-the-four-needs-in-an-integrated-way-is-like-combining/)

[Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/)

> [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

## More by Drew Houston

> [The only way to learn on a zero dollar budget is to talk to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/the-only-way-to-learn-on-a-zero-dollar-budget-is-to-talk-to-people/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [You become the average of the five people you hang out with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/you-become-the-average-of-the-five-people-you-hang-out-with/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [You must maximize the probability that someone shows up at front door of your store or website and ends up with a solved problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/you-must-maximize-the-probability-that-someone-shows-up-at-front-door/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [Even if it doesn't work out, the experience is so valuable to so many employers that your worst case scenario is, 'Ok, so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/even-if-it-doesn-t-work-out-the-experience-is-so-valuable-to-so-many/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [If you're going to go to the moon, you don't shoot the rocket right at the moon. You have to go at it obliquely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/if-you-re-going-to-go-to-the-moon-you-don-t-shoot-the-rocket-right-at/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [The happiest and most successful people I know don't just love what they do, they're obsessed with solving an important problem, something that matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/the-happiest-and-most-successful-people-i-know-don-t-just-love-what/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [Don't worry about failure; you only have to be right once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/don-t-worry-about-failure-you-only-have-to-be-right-once/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [No one is born a CEO, but no one tells you that. The magazine stories make it sound like Mark Zuckerberg woke up one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/no-one-is-born-a-ceo-but-no-one-tells-you-that-the-magazine-stories/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [Learn early, learn often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/learn-early-learn-often/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [One of the great things about moving to Silicon Valley is that you're surrounded by all these people who've done it before. This place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/one-of-the-great-things-about-moving-to-silicon-valley-is-that-you-re/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [Where you live matters: there's only one MIT. And there's only one Hollywood and only one Silicon Valley. This isn't a coincidence: for whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/where-you-live-matters-there-s-only-one-mit-and-there-s-only-one/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [Dropbox is my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/dropbox-is-my-life/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [When you’re in school, every little mistake is a permanent crack in your windshield. But in the real world, if you’re not swerving around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/when-you-re-in-school-every-little-mistake-is-a-permanent-crack-in/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [When I think about it, the happiest and most successful people I know don't just love what they do, they're obsessed with solving something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/when-i-think-about-it-the-happiest-and-most-successful-people-i-know/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

> [If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning, and getting ready for it. What you should be doing is getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/if-you-have-a-dream-you-can-spend-a-lifetime-studying-planning-and/)

[Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

[Explore all 47 Drew Houston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/)

## More Critical quotes

> [People will pay a price for putting political obstruction over progress in a time that is so critical and urgent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/people-will-pay-a-price-for-putting-political-obstruction-over/)

[Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/)

> [Our critical day is not the very day of our death; but the whole course of our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/our-critical-day-is-not-the-very-day-of-our-death-but-the-whole/)

[John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/)

> [It's pointless to be critical of your stuff once it's done. I don't spend a lot of time agonising over it. It's of no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/it-s-pointless-to-be-critical-of-your-stuff-once-it-s-done-i-don-t/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/)

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

> [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/)

[Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/)

> [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/)

[Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/)

> [But whether you stay or go, the critical decision you can make is to stop letting your partner distort the lens of your life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lundy-bancroft/but-whether-you-stay-or-go-the-critical-decision-you-can-make-is-to/)

[Lundy Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lundy-bancroft/)

> [As a businessperson, I dont have the power to change the government. That is in the hands of the political leaders. However, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadashi-yanai/as-a-businessperson-i-dont-have-the-power-to-change-the-government/)

[Tadashi Yanai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadashi-yanai/)

> [It has never been more critical that a leader step forward to accelerate our understanding of cancer - and champion the effort to finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-dzau/it-has-never-been-more-critical-that-a-leader-step-forward-to/)

Victor J. Dzau

> [Pleasure is by no means an infallible critical guide, but it is the least fallible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/pleasure-is-by-no-means-an-infallible-critical-guide-but-it-is-the/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [There is no royal path to good writing; and such paths as exist do not lead through neat critical gardens, various as they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessamyn-west/there-is-no-royal-path-to-good-writing-and-such-paths-as-exist-do-not/)

[Jessamyn West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessamyn-west/)

> [You know, children philosophize more than adults - and they are critical of adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-know-children-philosophize-more-than-adults-and-they-are-critical/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [The critical question about regret is whether experience led to growth and new learning. Some people seem to keep on making the same mistakes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-catherine-bateson/the-critical-question-about-regret-is-whether-experience-led-to/)

[Mary Catherine Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-catherine-bateson/)

> [Obama did organize a great large number of people and many enthusiastic people, what's called in the press 'Obama's Army.' But the army is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/obama-did-organize-a-great-large-number-of-people-and-many/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

Browse all 2,389 Critical quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I actually don't think it matters how early or late you are as long as you hit critical mass.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Drew Houston"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-early-or-late-you-are-as-long/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Critical"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-early-or-late-you-are-as-long/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/drew-houston-14131_critical_i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-ea_1120082.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/drew-houston-14131_critical_i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-ea_1120082.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/drew-houston-14131_critical_i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-ea_1120082.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I actually don't think it matters how early or late you are as long as you hit critical mass.” — Drew Houston",
                "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": "Drew Houston",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I actually don't think it matters...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-early-or-late-you-are-as-long/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/i-actually-don-t-think-it-matters-how-early-or-late-you-are-as-long/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
