--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there's one thing government needs…" description: "\"If there's one thing government needs desperately, it's the ability to quickly try something, pivot when necessary, and build complex systems by starti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/jennifer-pahlka-19149_ability_if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-de_2088044.jpg" --- # If there's one thing government needs desperately, it's… ![“If there's one thing government needs desperately, it's the ability to quickly try something, pivot when necessary, and build complex systems by starting with simple systems that work and evolving from there, not the other way around.” quote by Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/jennifer-pahlka-19149_ability_if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-de_2088044.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/jennifer-pahlka-19149_ability_if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-de_2088044.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/jennifer-pahlka-19149_ability_if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-de_2088044.jpg) > “If there's one thing government needs desperately, it's the ability to quickly try something, pivot when necessary, and build complex systems by starting with simple systems that work and evolving from there, not the other way around.” [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Governments should start with simple, functional systems and iteratively improve them. **In simple terms:** Start simple, then evolve. Key Takeaway Iterate from simple foundations. Themes government innovation agility Mood optimistic pragmatic Type policy inspirational When to use this quote - software development - urban planning - healthcare reform - education systems Key Concepts Systems design public policy Questions to Reflect On - What simple system could you prototype? - How to balance speed with safety? A Different Perspective Complex problems may need upfront comprehensive planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Complex systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex-systems/) [Evolving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolving/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [The way to build a complex system that works is to build it from very simple systems that work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/the-way-to-build-a-complex-system-that-works-is-to-build-it-from-very/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [“Don't be fooled by the many books on complexity or by the many complex and arcane algorithms you find in this book or elsewhere.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nicholas-gray/don-t-be-fooled-by-the-many-books-on-complexity-or-by-the-many/) James Nicholas Gray > [Chaos has come to be associated with the study of anything complex, but, in fact, the mathematical techniques are directly applicable only to simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gershenfeld/chaos-has-come-to-be-associated-with-the-study-of-anything-complex/) [Neil Gershenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gershenfeld/) > [Simple systems are not feasible because they require infinite testing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-ralph-augustine/simple-systems-are-not-feasible-because-they-require-infinite-testing/) [Norman Ralph Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-ralph-augustine/) > [Entrepreneurial leadership requires the ability to move quickly when opportunity presents itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/entrepreneurial-leadership-requires-the-ability-to-move-quickly-when/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You have the ability to quickly change your patterns of thought, and eventually... your life experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/you-have-the-ability-to-quickly-change-your-patterns-of-thought-and/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [“Two Core Abilities for Thriving in the New Economy The ability to quickly master hard things. The ability to produce at an elite level,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/two-core-abilities-for-thriving-in-the-new-economy-the-ability-to/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [The mark of a wise person isn't never making mistakes - everyone makes plenty of them. Rather, it's the ability to quickly admit -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-mark-of-a-wise-person-isn-t-never-making-mistakes-everyone-makes/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [“A "Can-do" approach, passion, and the ability to quickly integrate into a highly collaborative environment will elevate your game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/a-can-do-approach-passion-and-the-ability-to-quickly-integrate-into-a/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [Capablanca possessed an amazing ability to quickly see into a position and intuitively grasp its main features. His style, one of the purest, most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/capablanca-possessed-an-amazing-ability-to-quickly-see-into-a/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Doing work under pressure equals mistakes or brilliance it all depends on your attention to detail and ability to quickly adjust to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/doing-work-under-pressure-equals-mistakes-or-brilliance-it-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And the first thing I would do in my government, I would have nobody to control me, I would be absolute; and who but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/and-the-first-thing-i-would-do-in-my-government-i-would-have-nobody/) [Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) > [“They say that in D.C., all the museums and the monuments have been concessioned out and turned into a tourist park that now generates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/they-say-that-in-d-c-all-the-museums-and-the-monuments-have-been/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [The one thing government has which we (you or I or any corporation) DON'T have, is the ability to use deadly force to accomplish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/the-one-thing-government-has-which-we-you-or-i-or-any-corporation-don/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [A government shutdown, it isn't the end of the world. It's a bad thing. The government stops working for a few days. We cover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/a-government-shutdown-it-isn-t-the-end-of-the-world-it-s-a-bad-thing/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) ## More by Jennifer Pahlka > [We're not going to fix government until we fix citizenship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/we-re-not-going-to-fix-government-until-we-fix-citizenship/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [So few people vote these days, and I think it's partly because they don't feel like the institution really means anything to them. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/so-few-people-vote-these-days-and-i-think-it-s-partly-because-they/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [If you don't tolerate any risk, you can never innovate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/if-you-don-t-tolerate-any-risk-you-can-never-innovate/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [Are we just going to be a crowd of voices, or are we going to be a crowd of hands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/are-we-just-going-to-be-a-crowd-of-voices-or-are-we-going-to-be-a/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [Cities perform most functions in a very Industrial Age model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/cities-perform-most-functions-in-a-very-industrial-age-model/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [Government is like a vast ocean and politics is the six-inch layer on top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/government-is-like-a-vast-ocean-and-politics-is-the-six-inch-layer-on/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [We can't do without government, but we do need it to be more effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/we-can-t-do-without-government-but-we-do-need-it-to-be-more-effective/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [Our ability to do great things with data will make a real difference in every aspect of our lives,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/our-ability-to-do-great-things-with-data-will-make-a-real-difference/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [I think there is a big disjuncture between what we are served up as consumers and what we are served up as citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/i-think-there-is-a-big-disjuncture-between-what-we-are-served-up-as/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [If you dont tolerate any risk, you can never innovate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/if-you-dont-tolerate-any-risk-you-can-never-innovate/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [In high school, I was sort of friends with the geeks and friends with the socials and everything else and not solidly in one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/in-high-school-i-was-sort-of-friends-with-the-geeks-and-friends-with/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [If you are really interested in making government work, you should have the experience of working in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/if-you-are-really-interested-in-making-government-work-you-should/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [When there are more males in the industry to begin with, it just has a more male feel, and that pushes the girls away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/when-there-are-more-males-in-the-industry-to-begin-with-it-just-has-a/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [Everything that works on the Internet depends on a lot of people collaborating, but there's also these rules that you see across all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/everything-that-works-on-the-internet-depends-on-a-lot-of-people/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [There is certainly a strong game development community in Texas, centered around Austin, with a significant additional contingency coming over from Dallas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/there-is-certainly-a-strong-game-development-community-in-texas/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) [Explore all 33 Jennifer Pahlka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there's one thing government needs desperately, it's the ability to quickly try something, pivot when necessary, and build complex systems by starting with simple systems that work and evolving from there, not the other way around.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Pahlka" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-desperately-it-s-the-ability-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-desperately-it-s-the-ability-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/jennifer-pahlka-19149_ability_if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-de_2088044.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/jennifer-pahlka-19149_ability_if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-de_2088044.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/jennifer-pahlka-19149_ability_if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-de_2088044.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there's one thing government needs desperately, it's the ability to quickly try something, pivot when…” — Jennifer Pahlka", "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": "Jennifer Pahlka", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If there's one thing government needs...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-desperately-it-s-the-ability-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/if-there-s-one-thing-government-needs-desperately-it-s-the-ability-to/#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 } } ] } ```