More success, More risks
These two quotes, from Jeff Bezos on business risks and Sam Altman on personal career risks, convey the crux of this post.
As we grow more successful in any dimension - be it wealth, reputation, skill, career, business etc. - and if we desire to grow even further, then we require a larger win. As Jeff Bezos points out, larger wins require larger risk-taking and larger investments, which can result in larger failures.
Larger wins also often require different strategies and execution - what got us here won't get us there. Many people often plateau because they continue to work the way they used to even after they have grown to a different level.
The question we should ask ourselves is whether we are placing the bets that can take us to the next level and whether we are adapting our approach to make that happen.
"If the size of your failures isn't growing, you're not going to be inventing at a size that can actually move the needle. Amazon will be experimenting at the right scale for a company of our size if we occasionally have multibillion-dollar failures."
- Jeff Bezos in the 2019 Amazon shareholder letter
"It’s useful to focus on adding another zero to whatever you define as your success metric—money, status, impact on the world, or whatever. I am willing to take as much time as needed between projects to find my next thing. But I always want it to be a project that, if successful, will make the rest of my career look like a footnote."
- Sam AltmanFor something to make a difference to us, its significance should be proportional to our current situation. When we are kids, earning $10 can be a big deal, as it opened up options that we wouldn't have without - like going to a movie or ice cream shop. For most adults, $10 is unlikely to open up new options and make a difference.
As we grow more successful in any dimension - be it wealth, reputation, skill, career, business etc. - and if we desire to grow even further, then we require a larger win. As Jeff Bezos points out, larger wins require larger risk-taking and larger investments, which can result in larger failures.
Larger wins also often require different strategies and execution - what got us here won't get us there. Many people often plateau because they continue to work the way they used to even after they have grown to a different level.
The question we should ask ourselves is whether we are placing the bets that can take us to the next level and whether we are adapting our approach to make that happen.
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