--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In certain businesses, I would say 10…" description: "\"In certain businesses, I would say 10 failures to one success is a perfectly acceptable ratio. Because the failures die pretty quickly, they're not tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/tim-harford-12481_acceptable_in-certain-businesses-i-would-say-10-fai_3073514.png" --- # In certain businesses, I would say 10 failures to one… ![“In certain businesses, I would say 10 failures to one success is a perfectly acceptable ratio. Because the failures die pretty quickly, they're not that expensive, and the successes can be really huge.” quote by Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/tim-harford-12481_acceptable_in-certain-businesses-i-would-say-10-fai_3073514.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/tim-harford-12481_acceptable_in-certain-businesses-i-would-say-10-fai_3073514.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/tim-harford-12481_acceptable_in-certain-businesses-i-would-say-10-fai_3073514.png) > “In certain businesses, I would say 10 failures to one success is a perfectly acceptable ratio. Because the failures die pretty quickly, they're not that expensive, and the successes can be really huge.” [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. High failure rates can be acceptable when each failure is cheap and a rare success yields huge returns. **In simple terms:** Many cheap failures are okay if a big win follows. Key Takeaway Embrace cheap experiments, aim for big wins. Themes risk innovation entrepreneurship Mood pragmatic analytical Type business strategy When to use this quote - startup funding - product development - R&D - marketing campaigns Key Concepts cost‑benefit analysis failure tolerance Questions to Reflect On - How can you keep failures cheap? - What metrics identify a “huge” success? A Different Perspective If failures become costly, the ratio becomes unsustainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [10 Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/10-failures-5209868/) [Acceptable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptable/) [Acceptable Ratio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptable-ratio-5209870/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Businesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businesses/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die/) [Expensive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expensive/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures/) [Failures Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures-die-5209869/) [Failures Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures-success-273734/) [Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge/) [Perfectly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectly/) [Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty/) [Quickly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickly/) [Ratio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ratio/) [Ratio Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ratio-failures-5209867/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-is/) [Successes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successes/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [A ratio of failures is built into the process of writing. The wastebasket has evolved for a reason. Think of it as the altar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/a-ratio-of-failures-is-built-into-the-process-of-writing-the-2/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [A ratio of failures is built into the process of writing. The wastebasket has evolved for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/a-ratio-of-failures-is-built-into-the-process-of-writing-the/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Convert all the negatives into positives, all failures into success, all losses into profits, all type of feelings into useful attitudes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/convert-all-the-negatives-into-positives-all-failures-into-success/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think you need the failures to get the success. You learn more from that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/i-think-you-need-the-failures-to-get-the-success-you-learn-more-from/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [Do not think of todays failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/do-not-think-of-todays-failures-but-of-the-success-that-may-come/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [... then why accuse failures, when success itself seats on the series of stands from failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyaye-otobo/then-why-accuse-failures-when-success-itself-seats-on-the-series-of/) [Iyaye Otobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyaye-otobo/) > [Many of my biggest business endeavors were failures before they became a success. Some failed for as long as six years before they hit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/many-of-my-biggest-business-endeavors-were-failures-before-they/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [Do not think of to-day's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/do-not-think-of-to-day-s-failures-but-of-the-success-that-may-come/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Wisdom derives more from mistakes and failures than from success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-derives-more-from-mistakes-and-failures-than-from-success/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You find that all men are successes or failures. Success is the stamp of truth. I will say all men who fail to place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-taylor-still/you-find-that-all-men-are-successes-or-failures-success-is-the-stamp/) [Andrew Taylor Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-taylor-still/) > [“You need to accept your yesterday, so u can be happy on your today, risk and failures will always be there, and so is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candy-bustillo/you-need-to-accept-your-yesterday-so-u-can-be-happy-on-your-today/) [Candy bustillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candy-bustillo/) > [I fail sometimes, I succeed sometimes, so that's fair enough. It's a package deal. It comes with that package: failures and success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachin-tendulkar/i-fail-sometimes-i-succeed-sometimes-so-that-s-fair-enough-it-s-a/) [Sachin Tendulkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachin-tendulkar/) > [Hidden behind your fears and your failures is the success you seek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-allen/hidden-behind-your-fears-and-your-failures-is-the-success-you-seek/) [Robert G. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-allen/) > [The ratio of celebrity divorces is probably about the same as non-celebrity divorces; it's just that the non-celebrity divorces don't get a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mullally/the-ratio-of-celebrity-divorces-is-probably-about-the-same-as-non/) [Megan Mullally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mullally/) > [I follow an extremely strict diet counting my calorie intake, keeping in mind a very balanced ratio of proteins, carbs, and fats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithvik-dhanjani/i-follow-an-extremely-strict-diet-counting-my-calorie-intake-keeping/) [Rithvik Dhanjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithvik-dhanjani/) ## More by Tim Harford > [“The evolutionary algorithm--of variation and selection, repeated--searches for solutions in a world where the problems keep changing, trying all sorts of variants and doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/the-evolutionary-algorithm-of-variation-and-selection-repeated/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [There's lots and lots of guys out there. The question is trying to find the right one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/there-s-lots-and-lots-of-guys-out-there-the-question-is-trying-to/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [If the whole process of learning from failure means discarding stuff that's not working, but in fact, our natural reaction is to keep going,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/if-the-whole-process-of-learning-from-failure-means-discarding-stuff/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [In many ways, love seems to be totally divorced from economics. But then you realize - well, the stakes are high. This is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/in-many-ways-love-seems-to-be-totally-divorced-from-economics-but/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [I don't think Brian Cox does 'The Wonders of the Solar System' because he believes the world would be a better place if people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/i-don-t-think-brian-cox-does-the-wonders-of-the-solar-system-because/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [Our society is intertwined with the economy that we've built, which is a fantastically complex system. I hope that my writing about it might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/our-society-is-intertwined-with-the-economy-that-we-ve-built-which-is/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [You show me a successful complex system, and I will show you a system that has evolved through trial and error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/you-show-me-a-successful-complex-system-and-i-will-show-you-a-system/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [I think the association of economics with forecasting is unfortunate and is down to the fact that one great way to get an investment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/i-think-the-association-of-economics-with-forecasting-is-unfortunate/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [The more grotesque your boss's pay and the less he has do to earn it, the bigger the motivation for you to work with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/the-more-grotesque-your-boss-s-pay-and-the-less-he-has-do-to-earn-it/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [Bill Phillips was this nervous, chain-smoking student. He had signed up to be an engineer, he had gone away to fight in the Second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/bill-phillips-was-this-nervous-chain-smoking-student-he-had-signed-up/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [“We should aim to make ours a world where people feel free to do things they enjoy, even if others are mildly inconvenienced, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/we-should-aim-to-make-ours-a-world-where-people-feel-free-to-do/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [Loss aversion is a really disproportionate anxiety about stuff that doesn't matter very much. So for instance, if you lose $5, you feel really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/loss-aversion-is-a-really-disproportionate-anxiety-about-stuff-that/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [Cory Doctorow should be too busy for lunch. He's co-editor of, and a prolific contributor to, one of the most influential blogs in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/cory-doctorow-should-be-too-busy-for-lunch-he-s-co-editor-of-and-a/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [Accepting trial and error means accepting error. It means taking problems in our stride when a decision doesn't work out, whether through luck or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/accepting-trial-and-error-means-accepting-error-it-means-taking/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [“Hours are long. Wages are pitiful. But sweatshops are the symptom, not the cause, of shocking global poverty. Workers go there voluntarily, which means—hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/hours-are-long-wages-are-pitiful-but-sweatshops-are-the-symptom-not/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) [Explore all 53 Tim Harford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) ## More Acceptable quotes > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I remember being a kid and seeing the 'National Inquirer' at the grocery store checkout line. 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It furnishes examples of holy living, and displays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-taft/the-study-of-freemasonry-is-the-study-of-man-as-a-candidate-for-a/) [William Howard Taft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-taft/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. 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Which is why our actions must always be acceptable in themselves, and not as strategies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-heilbrun/we-cannot-guess-the-outcome-of-our-actions-which-is-why-our-actions/) [Carolyn Heilbrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-heilbrun/) > [In any case, open-seat presidential elections like 2008 just are different in character from incumbent reelects, and I think that's the most important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kristol/in-any-case-open-seat-presidential-elections-like-2008-just-are/) [William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kristol/) > [It's horrible how money and fame can make you acceptable while, if you're not famous or rich, you're not acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-tonioli/it-s-horrible-how-money-and-fame-can-make-you-acceptable-while-if-you/) [Bruno Tonioli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-tonioli/) > [I disagree with the prevailing point of view of some black leaders that special treatment for blacks is acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-disagree-with-the-prevailing-point-of-view-of-some-black-leaders/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [We get used to a certain kind of colour of form or format, and it's acceptable. 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