--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The franchise and the virus work on the…" description: "\"The franchise and the virus work on the same principle, what thrives in one place will thrive in another. You just have to find a sufficiently virulent..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/neal-stephenson-362_business_the-franchise-and-the-virus-work-on-the_2930499.png" --- # The franchise and the virus work on the same principle… ![“The franchise and the virus work on the same principle, what thrives in one place will thrive in another. You just have to find a sufficiently virulent business plan, condense it into a three-ring binder ― its DNA ― Xerox it, and embed it in the fertile line of a well-traveled highway, preferably…” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/neal-stephenson-362_business_the-franchise-and-the-virus-work-on-the_2930499.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/neal-stephenson-362_business_the-franchise-and-the-virus-work-on-the_2930499.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/neal-stephenson-362_business_the-franchise-and-the-virus-work-on-the_2930499.png) > “The franchise and the virus work on the same principle, what thrives in one place will thrive in another. You just have to find a sufficiently virulent business plan, condense it into a three-ring binder ― its DNA ― Xerox it, and embed it in the fertile line of a well-traveled highway, preferably one with a left turn lane. Then the growth will expand until it runs up against its property lines.” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Business ideas spread like viruses, thriving when replicated and placed in fertile markets, leading to rapid expansion until limited by external constraints. **In simple terms:** Ideas spread like viruses, growing fast in good markets. Key Takeaway Identify and replicate successful models in new markets. Themes innovation growth replication market dynamics Mood ambitious strategic Type advisory strategic When to use this quote - startup expansion - franchise scaling - market entry - product launch Key Concepts viral diffusion business strategy network effects Questions to Reflect On - How can you adapt a successful model to a new market? - What limits the spread of a business idea? A Different Perspective Success depends on adapting to local conditions, not just copying. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-plan/) [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Franchise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/franchise/) [Franchise Virus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/franchise-virus-3776251/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Growth Expand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth-expand-4317288/) [Highways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highways/) [Lanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lanes/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Plans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plans/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Rings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rings/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Thrive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrive/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Virulent Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virulent-business-4317289/) [Viruses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/viruses/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Xerox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/xerox/) ## Related quotes > [“The franchise and the virus work on the same principle: what thrives in one place will thrive in another. You just have to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-franchise-and-the-virus-work-on-the-same-principle-what-thrives/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Companies that grow for the sake of growth or that expand into areas outside their core business strategy often stumble. On the other hand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/companies-that-grow-for-the-sake-of-growth-or-that-expand-into-areas/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [“When you abbreviate your learning, you abbreviate your growth. Expand your knowledge and you keep growing taller and fatter than your limitations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/when-you-abbreviate-your-learning-you-abbreviate-your-growth-expand/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“To Randy and the others, the business plan functions as Torah, master calendar, motivational text, philosophical treatise. It is a dynamic, living document.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/to-randy-and-the-others-the-business-plan-functions-as-torah-master/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [If you go to Norway, Finland, Russia or Australia, youll see Xerox or Fuji-Xerox people, not just the name on the door. 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It's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/the-artwork-for-the-record-is-kind-of-an-homage-to-that-it-s-a/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [I think where the criticism of videogames come from is where videogames are just Xeroxes of films, and when you get a film adaptation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-think-where-the-criticism-of-videogames-come-from-is-where/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [Those inevitable dreams where you can't get your column in, you know, and at first they were the Xerox telecopy, and then they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/those-inevitable-dreams-where-you-can-t-get-your-column-in-you-know/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [The idea of an e-book has been around since the late 1970s, when researchers at Xerox PARC got on the case. Their prototype used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/the-idea-of-an-e-book-has-been-around-since-the-late-1970s-when/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [ The Canon AE1 - a fully manual camera. \[My mother\] had a 50mm, which is a standard lens, and then I got a 28mm.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vespa/the-canon-ae1-a-fully-manual-camera-my-mother-had-a-50mm-which-is-a/) [Jeff Vespa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vespa/) > [If you cannot sell, you cannot be an entrepreneur. If you cannot sell, you cannot raise money. if the thought of sales terrifies you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-cannot-sell-you-cannot-be-an-entrepreneur-if-you-cannot-sell/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I Xeroxed a mirror. Now I have an extra Xerox machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-xeroxed-a-mirror-now-i-have-an-extra-xerox-machine/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Lifting whole passages from someone else's speeches is not change you can believe in. It's change you can Xerox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/lifting-whole-passages-from-someone-else-s-speeches-is-not-change-you/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. 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But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. 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Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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