--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great thing about the business is how…" description: "\"The great thing about the business is how Darwinian it is. We have to swim or die - if you are found wanting over a period of time, you've either got t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/steven-soderbergh-2075_business_the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-ho_1033662.png" --- # The great thing about the business is how Darwinian it is… ![“The great thing about the business is how Darwinian it is. We have to swim or die - if you are found wanting over a period of time, you've either got to change what you're doing or find something else to do.” quote by Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/steven-soderbergh-2075_business_the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-ho_1033662.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/steven-soderbergh-2075_business_the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-ho_1033662.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/steven-soderbergh-2075_business_the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-ho_1033662.png) > “The great thing about the business is how Darwinian it is. We have to swim or die - if you are found wanting over a period of time, you've either got to change what you're doing or find something else to do.” [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He likens business to natural selection: adapt or fail, requiring continual change or new direction. **In simple terms:** Adapt or fail in business. Key Takeaway Continuously evolve or risk obsolescence. Themes competition adaptation survival innovation Mood cautious determined Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - startup growth - career transitions - market shifts Key Concepts evolutionary pressure strategic pivot Questions to Reflect On - What signals indicate you need to pivot? - How do you balance stability with innovation? A Different Perspective Constant change can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Darwinian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwinian/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“May be it took realizing that you could die to keep you from wanting to do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/may-be-it-took-realizing-that-you-could-die-to-keep-you-from-wanting/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [There's a big difference, I discovered, between wanting to die and not wanting to live. When you want to die, you at least have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/there-s-a-big-difference-i-discovered-between-wanting-to-die-and-not/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [He buried his hands in the rich velvet of her hair. “I thought I’d die for wanting you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-medeiros/he-buried-his-hands-in-the-rich-velvet-of-her-hair-i-thought-i-d-die/) [Teresa Medeiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-medeiros/) > [“There’s a big difference, I discovered, between wanting to die and not wanting to live. When you want to die, you at least have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-hugh-warner/there-s-a-big-difference-i-discovered-between-wanting-to-die-and-not-3/) Brian Hugh Warner > [There's a big difference, I discovered, between wanting to die and not wanting to live,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/there-s-a-big-difference-i-discovered-between-wanting-to-die-and-not-2/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [“you only want to give me a handjob, I’ll settle for waiting for you till a little later. But I’ve come close to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/you-only-want-to-give-me-a-handjob-i-ll-settle-for-waiting-for-you/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [I'm an extremist, I have to deal with my own extreme personality, and I walk the fine line of wanting to die and wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/i-m-an-extremist-i-have-to-deal-with-my-own-extreme-personality-and-i/) [Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/) > [“There is a difference between not wanting to die, and wanting to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-a-difference-between-not-wanting-to-die-and-wanting-to-live/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Change what you are doing; change your world. And if enough people do that, we can change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/change-what-you-are-doing-change-your-world-and-if-enough-people-do/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [There was a time, in my early 20s, when I picked up the trumpet and said, 'I've got to change what I'm doing.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smoker/there-was-a-time-in-my-early-20s-when-i-picked-up-the-trumpet-and/) [Paul Smoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smoker/) > [You will never or can never change where you are going until you change what you are doing, and you will never change what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prodigy/you-will-never-or-can-never-change-where-you-are-going-until-you/) [Prodigy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prodigy/) > [How do you expect the world to change when all you are doing is helping to destroy it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-kohler/how-do-you-expect-the-world-to-change-when-all-you-are-doing-is/) [Autumn Kohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-kohler/) > [Now we're in the midst of not just advocating for change, not just calling for change - we're doing the grinding, sometimes frustrating work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-we-re-in-the-midst-of-not-just-advocating-for-change-not-just/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If you don't like what you're getting, then change what you're doing. It's up to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-croce/if-you-don-t-like-what-you-re-getting-then-change-what-you-re-doing/) [Pat Croce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-croce/) > [“Be interesting. Tell the truth. And if you can’t tell the truth, change what you’re doing so you can. In other words, live the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-sachs/be-interesting-tell-the-truth-and-if-you-can-t-tell-the-truth-change/) [Jonah Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-sachs/) ## More by Steven Soderbergh > [I was lucky that I was getting exposed to a lot of different kinds of films, and I was liking them all. So it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-was-lucky-that-i-was-getting-exposed-to-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [Truth and facts have to trump partisanship. There has to be something that's true regardless of what your angle is on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/truth-and-facts-have-to-trump-partisanship-there-has-to-be-something/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [I have a friend whose theory is that you're from wherever you went to high school. I think that's mostly true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-have-a-friend-whose-theory-is-that-you-re-from-wherever-you-went-to/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [In nature, if a cell gets too big, it divides. You can't come up with a set of rules that's going to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/in-nature-if-a-cell-gets-too-big-it-divides-you-can-t-come-up-with-a/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [You should never assume anything coming from a critical standpoint. You should go into everything assuming you're going to get crushed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/you-should-never-assume-anything-coming-from-a-critical-standpoint/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [I'm sure some people will say, 'Why do this?' And my response is, 'Why wouldn't you?' The film business in general is using a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-m-sure-some-people-will-say-why-do-this-and-my-response-is-why/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [A movie is something you see, cinema is something that’s made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/a-movie-is-something-you-see-cinema-is-something-that-s-made/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [If you're a painter and you want people to know who you are and recognize your work, you've got to build some long-term value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/if-you-re-a-painter-and-you-want-people-to-know-who-you-are-and/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [Everybody, including me, has to submit to what it needs to be. The thing is at the top of the pyramid, the best version…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/everybody-including-me-has-to-submit-to-what-it-needs-to-be-the-thing/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [A big part of making an album is that you want to have enough material - you want to have enough stuff for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/a-big-part-of-making-an-album-is-that-you-want-to-have-enough/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [The reverberation of the freedom of making 'Schizopolis' absolutely resulted in 'Out of Sight' and everything that followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-reverberation-of-the-freedom-of-making-schizopolis-absolutely/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [ I've never been a snob. It \[movie\] is just about stories. And I've never felt just because it's a big screen and you plop… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-ve-never-been-a-snob-it-movie-is-just-about-stories-and-i-ve-never/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [The ought to be a worldwide cultural taskforce that just stops you when you have ideas like combining The Red Desert with an armored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-ought-to-be-a-worldwide-cultural-taskforce-that-just-stops-you/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [There's definitely a way of thinking and a way of being in the South that has its advantages and disadvantages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/there-s-definitely-a-way-of-thinking-and-a-way-of-being-in-the-south/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [All I care about is the story and telling the story. I don't care how people ingest it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/all-i-care-about-is-the-story-and-telling-the-story-i-don-t-care-how/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) [Explore all 187 Steven Soderbergh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) ## 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. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great thing about the business is how Darwinian it is. We have to swim or die - if you are found wanting over a period of time, you've either got to change what you're doing or find something else to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Soderbergh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-how-darwinian-it-is-we-have-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-how-darwinian-it-is-we-have-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/steven-soderbergh-2075_business_the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-ho_1033662.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/steven-soderbergh-2075_business_the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-ho_1033662.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/steven-soderbergh-2075_business_the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-ho_1033662.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great thing about the business is how Darwinian it is. We have to swim or die - if you are found wanting…” — Steven Soderbergh", "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": "Steven Soderbergh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The great thing about the business...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-how-darwinian-it-is-we-have-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-great-thing-about-the-business-is-how-darwinian-it-is-we-have-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 } } ] } ```