--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are really two things that have to…" description: "\"There are really two things that have to occur in order for a new technology to be affordable to the mass market. One is you need economies of scale. T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b5/elon-musk-1138_affordable_there-are-really-two-things-that-have-to_846491.jpg" --- # There are really two things that have to occur in order… ![“There are really two things that have to occur in order for a new technology to be affordable to the mass market. One is you need economies of scale. The other is you need to iterate on the design. You need to go through a few versions.” quote by Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b5/elon-musk-1138_affordable_there-are-really-two-things-that-have-to_846491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b5/elon-musk-1138_affordable_there-are-really-two-things-that-have-to_846491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b5/elon-musk-1138_affordable_there-are-really-two-things-that-have-to_846491.jpg) > “There are really two things that have to occur in order for a new technology to be affordable to the mass market. One is you need economies of scale. The other is you need to iterate on the design. You need to go through a few versions.” [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mass-market tech needs scale and iterative design to cut costs and improve performance. **In simple terms:** Scale and redesign lower prices. Key Takeaway Focus on scaling and refining products. Themes innovation economics design mass market Mood optimistic pragmatic Type business technology When to use this quote - startup launches - consumer electronics - automotive production - software updates Key Concepts economies of scale iterative development product lifecycle Questions to Reflect On - How can companies balance rapid iteration with quality? - What role do standards play in affordability? A Different Perspective Scaling alone may not address regulatory or supply chain constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [New technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-technology/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [Capitalism brainwashes us through advertising and the skewing of priorities … We need economies that promote human values, seek to limit suffering, and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sulak-sivaraksa/capitalism-brainwashes-us-through-advertising-and-the-skewing-of/) [Sulak Sivaraksa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sulak-sivaraksa/) > [To create a memorable design you need to start with a thought that's worth remembering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-manss/to-create-a-memorable-design-you-need-to-start-with-a-thought-that-s/) Thomas Manss > [Once you come up with a premise, you have to work out how it all happened. 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These new technologies mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-walker/with-portable-cameras-and-affordable-data-and-non-linear-digital/) [Lucy Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-walker/) > [I was born in Africa. I came to California because it's really where new technologies can be brought to fruition, and I don't see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-was-born-in-africa-i-came-to-california-because-it-s-really-where/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If you think back to the beginning of cell phones, laptops or really any new technology, it's always expensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-you-think-back-to-the-beginning-of-cell-phones-laptops-or-really/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm interested in things that change the world or that affect the future and wondrous, new technology where you see it, and you're like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-interested-in-things-that-change-the-world-or-that-affect-the/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [There won't ever be a mass-market record industry again, and that's fine with me because that industry didn't operate for the benefit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/there-won-t-ever-be-a-mass-market-record-industry-again-and-that-s/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [The mass market eventually assimilates that which is innovative or revolutionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-goldstein/the-mass-market-eventually-assimilates-that-which-is-innovative-or/) [Al Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-goldstein/) > [It's much easier to create a high-end bag than a mass market bag that everyone can afford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-hearst/it-s-much-easier-to-create-a-high-end-bag-than-a-mass-market-bag-that/) [Lydia Hearst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-hearst/) > [Price point is always important for mass market commodities. Look at the iPhone. It's expensive. But I think it is going to sell. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satoru-iwata/price-point-is-always-important-for-mass-market-commodities-look-at/) [Satoru Iwata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satoru-iwata/) > [I want the BBC to be a mass market public service broadcaster still funded by the licence fee... and the licence fee is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavyn-davies/i-want-the-bbc-to-be-a-mass-market-public-service-broadcaster-still/) [Gavyn Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavyn-davies/) > [Mass-market movies have become about one thing. They kind of declare themselves right off the bat. . . . But when I go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/mass-market-movies-have-become-about-one-thing-they-kind-of-declare/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) ## More by Elon Musk > [Nobody wants to buy a $60,000 electric Civic. But people will pay $90,000 for an electric sports car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/nobody-wants-to-buy-a-60-000-electric-civic-but-people-will-pay-90/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-we-should-be-very-careful-about-artificial-intelligence-if-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Most people can learn a lot more than they think they can. They sell themselves short without trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/most-people-can-learn-a-lot-more-than-they-think-they-can-they-sell/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [A company is a group organized to create a product or service, and it is only as good as its people and how excited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/a-company-is-a-group-organized-to-create-a-product-or-service-and-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm glad to see that BMW is bringing an electric car to market. That's cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-glad-to-see-that-bmw-is-bringing-an-electric-car-to-market-that-s/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [When we got Tesla going at the very beginning, if you asked me what I thought the odds of success were, I would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/when-we-got-tesla-going-at-the-very-beginning-if-you-asked-me-what-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If we drive down the cost of transportation in space, we can do great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-we-drive-down-the-cost-of-transportation-in-space-we-can-do-great/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [In order for us to have a future that's exciting and inspiring, it has to be one where we're a space-bearing civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/in-order-for-us-to-have-a-future-that-s-exciting-and-inspiring-it-has/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The lessons of history would suggest that civilisations move in cycles. You can track that back quite far - the Babylonians, the Sumerians, followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-lessons-of-history-would-suggest-that-civilisations-move-in/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The value of beauty and inspiration is very much underrated, no question. But I want to be clear: I'm not trying to be anyone's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-value-of-beauty-and-inspiration-is-very-much-underrated-no/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If something's important enough, you should try. Even if - the probable outcome is failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-something-s-important-enough-you-should-try-even-if-the-probable/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [You should be innovating so fast that you're invalidating your prior patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/you-should-be-innovating-so-fast-that-you-re-invalidating-your-prior/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm anti-tax, but I'm pro-carbon tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-anti-tax-but-i-m-pro-carbon-tax/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) [Explore all 284 Elon Musk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## More Affordable quotes > [At LearnVest, we're working to make financial planning both accessible and affordable so that everyone has the opportunity to get on track financially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-von-tobel/at-learnvest-we-re-working-to-make-financial-planning-both-accessible/) [Alexa Von Tobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-von-tobel/) > [Along with a livable wage, many parents are desperate for quality affordable child care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gillibrand/along-with-a-livable-wage-many-parents-are-desperate-for-quality/) [Kirsten Gillibrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gillibrand/) > [Building great public schools and universities, a strong health care system, including keeping the Affordable Care Act, and then an economy that works well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-castro/building-great-public-schools-and-universities-a-strong-health-care/) [Joaquin Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-castro/) > [ Senator \[Tom\] Cotton has campaigned on wanting to kill Obamacare. He voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act back in January, but he now… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/senator-tom-cotton-has-campaigned-on-wanting-to-kill-obamacare-he/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [To protect our country's economic future and the health and well being of all Americans, we must find a way to rein in out-of-control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/to-protect-our-country-s-economic-future-and-the-health-and-well/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [To the millions of Americans whove attempted to use HealthCare.gov to shop and enroll in health-care coverage, I want to apologize to you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-tavenner/to-the-millions-of-americans-whove-attempted-to-use-healthcare-gov-to/) Marilyn Tavenner > [ \[Tom Cotton\] has been an absolute champion of the idea of getting rid of Obamacare, scrapping the Affordable Care Act. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/tom-cotton-has-been-an-absolute-champion-of-the-idea-of-getting-rid/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [My biggest fear, that 27 percent of Americans under 65 have an existing health condition that, without the protections of the Affordable Care Act,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/my-biggest-fear-that-27-percent-of-americans-under-65-have-an/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [The White House approved an exemption in Obamacare coverage for Congress and members of their staff. Members complained that the Affordable Care Act will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-white-house-approved-an-exemption-in-obamacare-coverage-for/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [The people who are working, paying their taxes are put into the system so that affordable housing could be built in neighborhoods that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bolling/the-people-who-are-working-paying-their-taxes-are-put-into-the-system/) [Eric Bolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bolling/) > [There's a major underlying idea as you grow up that you need to just save your money and get that affordable housing at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/there-s-a-major-underlying-idea-as-you-grow-up-that-you-need-to-just/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Whatever it is that you're successful at, that has to be the No. 1 goal. In my case, it's accessibility. So all of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-ray/whatever-it-is-that-you-re-successful-at-that-has-to-be-the-no-1-goal/) [Rachael Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-ray/) > [The smart way to improve broadband is not to junk the existing network but to make the most of it. It’s to let a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/the-smart-way-to-improve-broadband-is-not-to-junk-the-existing/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [So much for Obama's promise of 'quality, affordable health care.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deroy-murdock/so-much-for-obama-s-promise-of-quality-affordable-health-care/) Deroy Murdock > [The Affordable Care Act has been designed to provide health security by driving competition, lowering premiums, and protecting families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/the-affordable-care-act-has-been-designed-to-provide-health-security/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) Browse all 436 Affordable quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are really two things that have to occur in order for a new technology to be affordable to the mass market. One is you need economies of scale. The other is you need to iterate on the design. 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