You have probably heard people say things like “this product makes you 10x more effective.” 

Here are a few examples of what things would look like if they were 10x faster/better/bigger:

  • A marathon could be run in 12 minutes.

  • Surgeons could operate on individual cells by hand.

  • Walmart would be making ~$7T a year, larger than almost any country’s GDP.

  • You could read most books in 30 minutes.

  • The average salary in the United States would be about $600k.

  • A flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo would take 1 hour.

  • You could charge an iPhone in 5 minutes, and recharge it once every 2 weeks.

  • A single Dorito would be so flavorful you wouldn’t be able to bear it.

  • Most people would have 30+ very close friends they see frequently.

  • The S&P 500 (as of this writing) would be about 66,000 USD.

  • Skyscraper walls could be as thin as cardboard.

  • We could publish 10 essays a week on Quarter Mile.

  • Energy would basically be free.

  • Housing crises would disappear.

  • The United States (if 10x bigger) would cover 53% of all land on Earth.

  • I would write 10x more items on this list.

  • Those items would be 10x better.

10x is a lot, people. 

If I read that your product is going to make my team (or my company, or myself) 10x better—or 20x better, or 30x better, or whatever—I would like you to explain it. Just explain it! Show me the numbers. Walk me through what 10x looks like. Please.

If it’s actually 10x, and I can be 10x more productive or happier or healthier, I will be happy about it. If it’s not, well, I would recommend you revise your number downwards.

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