--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eight years of work can be copied in six…" description: "\"Eight years of work can be copied in six months. It wasn't inevitable that it was going to work. A stolen design is stolen time.\" — Jonathan Ive" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/jonathan-ive-3015_copied_eight-years-of-work-can-be-copied-in-six_1229283.png" --- # Eight years of work can be copied in six months. It wasn't… ![“Eight years of work can be copied in six months. It wasn't inevitable that it was going to work. A stolen design is stolen time.” quote by Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/jonathan-ive-3015_copied_eight-years-of-work-can-be-copied-in-six_1229283.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/jonathan-ive-3015_copied_eight-years-of-work-can-be-copied-in-six_1229283.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e9/jonathan-ive-3015_copied_eight-years-of-work-can-be-copied-in-six_1229283.png) > “Eight years of work can be copied in six months. It wasn't inevitable that it was going to work. A stolen design is stolen time.” [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Work can be accelerated by copying existing efforts, but success isn’t guaranteed; theft steals time and value. **In simple terms:** Copying speeds work but isn’t always successful; theft wastes time. Key Takeaway Innovate rather than copy blindly. Themes productivity innovation intellectual property Mood analytical critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - software development - creative projects - research labs Key Concepts efficiency design replication time management Questions to Reflect On - What balance should be struck between inspiration and originality? - How can you protect your time from being stolen? A Different Perspective Copying may lead to legal and ethical issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Copied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copied/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Stolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-stolen-3796015/) [Eight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eight/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitable/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six/) [Six months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six-months/) [Stolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stolen/) [Stolen Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stolen-design-1633013/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Copied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-copied-3796014/) [Work Stolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-stolen-479453/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-work/) ## Related quotes > [In its report, the Cox Committee concludes that China is using stolen U.S. design information to speed up its deployment of a new nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bass/in-its-report-the-cox-committee-concludes-that-china-is-using-stolen/) [Charles Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bass/) > [I hate being unappreciated for my work and stolen from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-being-unappreciated-for-my-work-and-stolen-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're doing something for the first time, you don't know it's going to work. You spend seven or eight years working on something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/when-you-re-doing-something-for-the-first-time-you-don-t-know-it-s/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [It's hard to pinpoint a 'moment' that validated years of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marques-brownlee/it-s-hard-to-pinpoint-a-moment-that-validated-years-of-work/) [Marques Brownlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marques-brownlee/) > [People have said for years 'never work with children or animals' but I couldn't disagree more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asher-keddie/people-have-said-for-years-never-work-with-children-or-animals-but-i/) [Asher Keddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asher-keddie/) > [All I had done for five years was work 18 hours a day all over the world. I needed to step back and distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cassidy/all-i-had-done-for-five-years-was-work-18-hours-a-day-all-over-the/) [David Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cassidy/) > [I work with a lot of kids. Every year, for the past fifteen years, I work at Comedy Camp where I work with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/i-work-with-a-lot-of-kids-every-year-for-the-past-fifteen-years-i/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [When I listen to what I did under the influence - 10 years of work - I don't think it either enhanced or impaired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/when-i-listen-to-what-i-did-under-the-influence-10-years-of-work-i/) [Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/) > [I didn't have a life. Basically, for 40 years it was my work and my nose was to the grindstone the whole time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-murray/i-didn-t-have-a-life-basically-for-40-years-it-was-my-work-and-my/) [Anne Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-murray/) > [That's what I think when people do their "best stuff" collection. When you start to think, "Oh, I will just present my 10 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-ghesquiere/that-s-what-i-think-when-people-do-their-best-stuff-collection-when/) [Nicolas Ghesquiere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-ghesquiere/) > [I think what is probably hard for people to imagine is how wrapped up the 17 years' work on Harry Potter is with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-think-what-is-probably-hard-for-people-to-imagine-is-how-wrapped-up/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [After my debut in 2001 in 'Aks,' where I had a small part, I had to work really hard to get work in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhimanyu-singh/after-my-debut-in-2001-in-aks-where-i-had-a-small-part-i-had-to-work/) [Abhimanyu Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhimanyu-singh/) > [I've learned over the years that everything is more or less the same amount of work, so you may as well set your sights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-ve-learned-over-the-years-that-everything-is-more-or-less-the-same/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“most professionals progress until they reach an “acceptable” level, and then they plateau. Software engineers, for instance, usually stop progressing somewhere around five years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-grenny/most-professionals-progress-until-they-reach-an-acceptable-level-and/) [Joseph Grenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-grenny/) > [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/) [Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/) ## More by Jonathan Ive > [My father was a very good craftsman. He made furniture, he made silverware and he had an incredible gift in terms of how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/my-father-was-a-very-good-craftsman-he-made-furniture-he-made/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [The more I learnt about this cheeky - almost rebellious - company, the more it appealed to me, as it unapologetically pointed to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/the-more-i-learnt-about-this-cheeky-almost-rebellious-company-the/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [To design something really new and innovative you have to reject reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/to-design-something-really-new-and-innovative-you-have-to-reject/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [The most important thing is that you actually care, that you do something to the very best of your ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/the-most-important-thing-is-that-you-actually-care-that-you-do/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [We’re surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects. It’s tempting to think it’s because the people who use them don’t care-just like the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/we-re-surrounded-by-anonymous-poorly-made-objects-it-s-tempting-to/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [And I said couldn't we be more moderate? And he said why? And I said because I care about the team. And he said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/and-i-said-couldn-t-we-be-more-moderate-and-he-said-why-and-i-said/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [The absence of clutter is just a clutter-free product. That's not simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/the-absence-of-clutter-is-just-a-clutter-free-product-that-s-not/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [In our quest to quickly make three-dimensional objects, we can miss out on the experience of making something that helps give us our first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/in-our-quest-to-quickly-make-three-dimensional-objects-we-can-miss/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [A beautiful product that doesn't work very well is ugly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/a-beautiful-product-that-doesn-t-work-very-well-is-ugly/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [We don't do focus groups - that is the job of the designer. It's unfair to ask people who don't have a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/we-don-t-do-focus-groups-that-is-the-job-of-the-designer-it-s-unfair/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [I am very aware that I'm the product of growing up in England and the tradition of designing and making, of England industrialising first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/i-am-very-aware-that-i-m-the-product-of-growing-up-in-england-and-the/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [It's a very strange thing for a designer to say, but one of the things that really irritates me in products is when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/it-s-a-very-strange-thing-for-a-designer-to-say-but-one-of-the-things/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [We won't do something different for different's sake. Designers cave in to marketing, to the corporate agenda, which is sort of, 'Oh, it looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/we-won-t-do-something-different-for-different-s-sake-designers-cave/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [As a kid, I remember taking apart whatever I could get my hands on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/as-a-kid-i-remember-taking-apart-whatever-i-could-get-my-hands-on/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [I find that when I write, I need things to be quiet, but when I design, I can't bear it if it's quiet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/i-find-that-when-i-write-i-need-things-to-be-quiet-but-when-i-design/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) [Explore all 142 Jonathan Ive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) ## More Copied quotes > [If you listen to Drake's first single... he copied my whole bar word for word and my cadence and my flow from my song.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/if-you-listen-to-drake-s-first-single-he-copied-my-whole-bar-word-for/) [Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/) > [The awkward moment when wikipedia has copied your homework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-awkward-moment-when-wikipedia-has-copied-your-homework/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Couture has copied my things for years, in addition to countless other costume designers, claiming theirs were the original ideas. It's all part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/couture-has-copied-my-things-for-years-in-addition-to-countless-other/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [The power of a text is different when it is read from when it is copied out. Only the copied text thus commands the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/the-power-of-a-text-is-different-when-it-is-read-from-when-it-is/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [I have an amazing social-media wing man who manages my Facebook fan site. All my blogs get copied there. My e-mail in-box exploded, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/i-have-an-amazing-social-media-wing-man-who-manages-my-facebook-fan/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [Margaret Thatcher had more impact on the world than any woman ruler since Catherine the Great of Russia. Not only did she turn around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/margaret-thatcher-had-more-impact-on-the-world-than-any-woman-ruler/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [I can jump on to a kitchen worktop from standing, like Tigger. It was something my dad could do, and I copied it from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-riley/i-can-jump-on-to-a-kitchen-worktop-from-standing-like-tigger-it-was/) [Tom Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-riley/) > [Good poetry could not have been otherwise written than it is. The first time you hear it, it sounds rather as if copied out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-poetry-could-not-have-been-otherwise-written-than-it-is-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression, but their colour and shape, and the eyelashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/it-would-not-be-easy-indeed-to-catch-their-expression-but-their/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Victorian architecture in the United States was copied straight from England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gardiner/victorian-architecture-in-the-united-states-was-copied-straight-from/) [Stephen Gardiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gardiner/) > [In my early days, I copied the great French chefs, like most chefs do. Copying is not bad. 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Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-riddle/) > [For a long time, my uniform consisted of a trench coat, wide flared jeans, and little bottines - I copied a pair that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-ghesquiere/for-a-long-time-my-uniform-consisted-of-a-trench-coat-wide-flared/) [Nicolas Ghesquiere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-ghesquiere/) [Browse all 85 Copied quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copied/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Eight years of work can be copied in six months. It wasn't inevitable that it was going to work. 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