--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a standard formula for success in…" description: "\"There's a standard formula for success in the entertainment medium, and that is: Beat it to death if it succeeds.\" — Ernie Kovacs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/ernie-kovacs-52378_beats_there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-i_2910059.png" --- # There's a standard formula for success in the… ![“There's a standard formula for success in the entertainment medium, and that is: Beat it to death if it succeeds.” quote by Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/ernie-kovacs-52378_beats_there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-i_2910059.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/ernie-kovacs-52378_beats_there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-i_2910059.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/ernie-kovacs-52378_beats_there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-i_2910059.png) > “There's a standard formula for success in the entertainment medium, and that is: Beat it to death if it succeeds.” [Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overusing a successful formula can lead to stagnation and audience fatigue. **In simple terms:** Never over‑repeat success. Key Takeaway Innovate beyond proven formulas. Themes media creativity risk Mood critical cautious Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - TV showwriting - marketing campaigns - product development - social media trends Key Concepts entertainment industry content strategy innovation Questions to Reflect On - When is repetition acceptable? - How to balance novelty and familiarity? A Different Perspective Risk of abandoning proven success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beat Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beat-death-679051/) [Beats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beats/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Succeeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-succeeds-4185346/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Entertainment Medium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment-medium-2550993/) [Formula for success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formula-for-success/) [Formula Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formula-success-362984/) [Formulas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formulas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Mediums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediums/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-entertainment-4185345/) ## Related quotes > [Beat it to death if it succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/beat-it-to-death-if-it-succeeds/) [Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) > [There really isn't a formula for success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romeo-santos/there-really-isn-t-a-formula-for-success/) [Romeo Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romeo-santos/) > [Formula for success: When you start a thing, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/formula-for-success-when-you-start-a-thing-finish-it/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Those who have failed miserably are often the first to see God's formula for success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/those-who-have-failed-miserably-are-often-the-first-to-see-god-s/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [Formula for success is rise early, work hard and never give up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/formula-for-success-is-rise-early-work-hard-and-never-give-up/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration then more practice and more concentration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-didrikson-zaharias/the-formula-for-success-is-simple-practice-and-concentration-then/) [Babe Didrikson Zaharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-didrikson-zaharias/) > [There is no formula for success. All you need to do is put in your best and be blessed with some good luck as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/there-is-no-formula-for-success-all-you-need-to-do-is-put-in-your/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [The formula for success is every guy can make a difference for the entire team in whatever his role is. And to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/the-formula-for-success-is-every-guy-can-make-a-difference-for-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Formula for success: under promise and over deliver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/formula-for-success-under-promise-and-over-deliver/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [The question is not whether the formula for success will work, but rather whether the person will work the formula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-question-is-not-whether-the-formula-for-success-will-work-but/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/formula-for-success-rise-early-work-hard-strike/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The formula for success is Cosmic Ordering, the formula for failure is worry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-formula-for-success-is-cosmic-ordering-the-formula-for-failure-is/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [No, I have definitely not found any magic formula for success. I don't even know if it is possible for me to do that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuthirakani/no-i-have-definitely-not-found-any-magic-formula-for-success-i-don-t/) [Samuthirakani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuthirakani/) > [Being your true self is the most effective formula for success there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/being-your-true-self-is-the-most-effective-formula-for-success-there/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [Sure formula for success follow all the advice you give to others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cvarunkr/sure-formula-for-success-follow-all-the-advice-you-give-to-others/) [Cvarunkr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cvarunkr/) ## More by Ernie Kovacs > [Show me a man who won't eat clothesline, and I'll show you a man who can skip rope. Show me a man wtih both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/show-me-a-man-who-won-t-eat-clothesline-and-i-ll-show-you-a-man-who/) [Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) > [Beat it to death if it succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/beat-it-to-death-if-it-succeeds/) [Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) > [“Television – a medium. So called because it is neither rare not well done. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/television-a-medium-so-called-because-it-is-neither-rare-not-well-done/) [Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) > [Nothing in Moderation We all loved him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/nothing-in-moderation-we-all-loved-him/) [Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) > [Television – a medium. So called because it is neither rare nor well done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/television-a-medium-so-called-because-it-is-neither-rare-nor-well-done/) [Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) > [“Television is often called a medium because it’s neither rare, nor well done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/television-is-often-called-a-medium-because-it-s-neither-rare-nor/) [Ernie Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) [Explore all 7 Ernie Kovacs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/) ## More Beats quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I usually write from the rhythm section...If a drummer got a funky beat on some things - like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-usually-write-from-the-rhythm-section-if-a-drummer-got-a-funky-beat/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [If you don't like club beats take a HIT OF E and you will love the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/if-you-don-t-like-club-beats-take-a-hit-of-e-and-you-will-love-the/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [Every pitcher can beat you, it doesn't matter how good you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/every-pitcher-can-beat-you-it-doesn-t-matter-how-good-you-are/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) [Chaz Brenchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-brenchley/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know in our region everyone is gunning to beat us. We have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-donovan/i-don-t-know-about-the-rest-of-the-world-but-i-know-in-our-region/) [Landon Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-donovan/) > [Grand business plans are all very well, but nothing beats dipping your toe in the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/grand-business-plans-are-all-very-well-but-nothing-beats-dipping-your/) [Baron Bilimoria Karan Bilimoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-like-small-birds-they-hop-around-so-merrily-outside-my-window/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,311 Beats quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a standard formula for success in the entertainment medium, and that is: Beat it to death if it succeeds.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ernie Kovacs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-in-the-entertainment-medium/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-in-the-entertainment-medium/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/ernie-kovacs-52378_beats_there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-i_2910059.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/ernie-kovacs-52378_beats_there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-i_2910059.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/ernie-kovacs-52378_beats_there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-i_2910059.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's a standard formula for success in the entertainment medium, and that is: Beat it to death if it…” — Ernie Kovacs", "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": "Ernie Kovacs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-kovacs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's a standard formula for success...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-in-the-entertainment-medium/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-kovacs/there-s-a-standard-formula-for-success-in-the-entertainment-medium/#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 } } ] } ```