--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you do something to see if it works…" description: "\"If you do something to see if it works, and then it doesn't work, was that a valuable educational experience for you - that you intentionally did in or..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/sam-bankman-fried-6385_education_if-you-do-something-to-see-if-it-works-a_14361.jpg" --- # If you do something to see if it works, and then it… ![“If you do something to see if it works, and then it doesn't work, was that a valuable educational experience for you - that you intentionally did in order to learn - or is that a mistake because you did the thing that didn't work and you wasted money on it? Those are two sides of the same coin.” quote by Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/sam-bankman-fried-6385_education_if-you-do-something-to-see-if-it-works-a_14361.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/sam-bankman-fried-6385_education_if-you-do-something-to-see-if-it-works-a_14361.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/sam-bankman-fried-6385_education_if-you-do-something-to-see-if-it-works-a_14361.jpg) > “If you do something to see if it works, and then it doesn't work, was that a valuable educational experience for you - that you intentionally did in order to learn - or is that a mistake because you did the thing that didn't work and you wasted money on it? Those are two sides of the same coin.” [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experimentation yields learning regardless of outcome; failure still provides insight, while success validates effort. The value lies in intentional testing, not merely cost avoidance. **In simple terms:** Failure can be instructive when purposeful. Key Takeaway Intentional trial = learning Themes learning risk efficiency decision‑making growth Mood curious analytical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - product development - startup pivots - research trials - personal skill building Key Concepts experimentation cost‑benefit analysis feedback loops Practical Applications - designing pilot programs - evaluating ROI of experiments Questions to Reflect On - When does a failed test become wasteful? - How can you structure experiments to maximize learning? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Two sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-sides/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I spent a lot of time in college studying theater of the absurd and Beckett and Genet, and then I spent a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-in-college-studying-theater-of-the-absurd-and/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [Time is money. Wasted time means wasted money means trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-temple/time-is-money-wasted-time-means-wasted-money-means-trouble/) [Shirley Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-temple/) > [Be picky with who you invest your time in...wasted time is worse than wasted money.!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-picky-with-who-you-invest-your-time-in-wasted-time-is-worse-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think that my parents' only regret is that they wasted so much money on my stupid prestigious university degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-murray/i-think-that-my-parents-only-regret-is-that-they-wasted-so-much-money/) [Keith Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-murray/) > [I stayed after every mistake he made...but when I did the slightest one, I was left in the dust... and I heard the angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sahleenzlie/i-stayed-after-every-mistake-he-made-but-when-i-did-the-slightest-one/) Sahleenzlie > [“Rape is not a mistake! He did it on purpose, over and over again because he wanted to, because he off on it-”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wiess/rape-is-not-a-mistake-he-did-it-on-purpose-over-and-over-again/) [Laura Wiess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wiess/) > [What did you learn today? What mistake did you make that taught you something? What did you try hard at today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/what-did-you-learn-today-what-mistake-did-you-make-that-taught-you-2/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [Women -- a mistake, or did He do it to us on purpose?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/women-a-mistake-or-did-he-do-it-to-us-on-purpose/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [The only mistake I did is to love you then nothing from myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracesel-collado/the-only-mistake-i-did-is-to-love-you-then-nothing-from-myself/) [Gracesel Collado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracesel-collado/) > [Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/nobody-made-a-greater-mistake-than-he-who-did-nothing-because-he/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“The way the animals live, everybody envies them, because look, a cat, when it walks--did you ever see a cat making an aesthetic mistake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-t-hunt/the-way-the-animals-live-everybody-envies-them-because-look-a-cat/) H.T. Hunt > [A mistake is something that you did thinking it was right but it was wrong. A sin is something that you know is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/a-mistake-is-something-that-you-did-thinking-it-was-right-but-it-was/) Anwar al-Awlaki > [I want to go back in my life and want to fix all those mistake I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-sharma/i-want-to-go-back-in-my-life-and-want-to-fix-all-those-mistake-i-did/) Ravi Sharma > [I just try to learn from every mistake that I make so that I never make them again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mahomes/i-just-try-to-learn-from-every-mistake-that-i-make-so-that-i-never/) [Patrick Mahomes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-mahomes/) > [I hope that people learn from my mistake and I hope that the fans forgive me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-palmeiro/i-hope-that-people-learn-from-my-mistake-and-i-hope-that-the-fans/) [Rafael Palmeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-palmeiro/) ## More by Sam Bankman-Fried > [The bitcoin network is not a payments network and it is not a scaling network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/the-bitcoin-network-is-not-a-payments-network-and-it-is-not-a-scaling/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [We've put a lot of attention and care into regulation and interfacing with regulators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/we-ve-put-a-lot-of-attention-and-care-into-regulation-and-interfacing/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [FTX has shareholders and we have a duty to do reasonable things by them and I certainly feel more comfortable incinerating my own money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/ftx-has-shareholders-and-we-have-a-duty-to-do-reasonable-things-by/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [Just like an idle software, your brain is less efficient after a long break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/just-like-an-idle-software-your-brain-is-less-efficient-after-a-long/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [I have given to some Republicans, I've given to some Democrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/i-have-given-to-some-republicans-i-ve-given-to-some-democrats/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [There are a lot of ways to do good in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/there-are-a-lot-of-ways-to-do-good-in-the-world/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [The SEC is very likely going to end up regulating spot security token markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/the-sec-is-very-likely-going-to-end-up-regulating-spot-security-token/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [Lack of trust is an enormous transaction cost, and I underestimated this when I first got into business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/lack-of-trust-is-an-enormous-transaction-cost-and-i-underestimated/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [I wanted to get rich, not because I like money but because I wanted to give that money to charity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/i-wanted-to-get-rich-not-because-i-like-money-but-because-i-wanted-to/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [It is easy to get lulled into thinking that everything you do is all you can do - but you're not thinking more globally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/it-is-easy-to-get-lulled-into-thinking-that-everything-you-do-is-all/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [We are the most regulated crypto exchange by far. We are regulated by some definition by more regulators than any exchange of any type.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/we-are-the-most-regulated-crypto-exchange-by-far-we-are-regulated-by/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [I am legitimately worried about doing things that will make people view me as partisan when it's not how I feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/i-am-legitimately-worried-about-doing-things-that-will-make-people/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [We're really excited to support candidates who are making a point of putting pandemic prevention as one of their core policy positions and promising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/we-re-really-excited-to-support-candidates-who-are-making-a-point-of/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [When we think about what FTX represents, we want to be the best product that is out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/when-we-think-about-what-ftx-represents-we-want-to-be-the-best/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [Ideally, I would want FTX to become the biggest source of financial transactions in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/ideally-i-would-want-ftx-to-become-the-biggest-source-of-financial/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) [Explore all 99 Sam Bankman-Fried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you do something to see if it works, and then it doesn't work, was that a valuable educational experience for you - that you intentionally did in order to learn - or is that a mistake because you did the thing that didn't work and you wasted money on it? 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