You Think Growth is Expensive? Try Staying the Same People avoid investing in growth because they think it costs too much. A gym membership, a course, starting a business—it all feels like a financial drain. But do you know what costs way more? Not growing at all. If you don’t invest in your skills, you don’t stay the same — you shrink.


If you don’t improve your health, you pay for it later in medical bills and lost energy.


If you don’t grow your income, inflation erodes your lifestyle. There is no neutral in life — everything is either growing or decaying. So being stagnant (in the most generic sense) means you’re growing at the same rate the world moves. Anything less is dying. Look at businesses: the ones that stop innovating? They die. Blockbuster, Kodak, MySpace—they all refused to grow. They paid the price. Look at people: The ones who settle for comfort? They get weaker, slower, and less relevant. Growth isn’t an expense. It’s an investment. The only way to guarantee your survival—financially, mentally, and physically—is to keep expanding. Growth is always cheaper than dying. The Cost of Short-Term Thinking Most people underestimate how much they trade long-term growth for short-term comfort. The small, daily decisions that seem harmless—grabbing a quick dopamine hit, skipping a workout, avoiding a difficult task—compound over time into stagnation. If you’re in Nigeria, a bottle of soft drink is more or less the price of a bag of sachet water. Properly hydrating yourself for sustained energy for at least 3 days is the same price as flooding your system with dopamine and energy that lasts for about an hour and leaves you more drained. This cuts across other areas of your life. Growth is cheaper than dying. The problem isn’t the cost—it's the mindset. We get used to prioritizing what feels good now over what keeps us strong later. And before we realize it, our daily indulgences become our greatest limitations. The Two Paths of Growth There are two types of growth: Linear Growth: Climbing the Ladder
Exponential Growth: Leveraging Multipliers Linear Growth: Climbing the Ladder Linear growth is when the value of leverage is 1. Most people grow linearly. Climb the corporate ladder.
Add one rung at a time.
Earn +1 more each year. Linear growth is predictable. Input X → Output X.


Input 2X → Output 2X. The problem? You always have to push. If you stop, you die. Linear growth works for specialists—surgeons, lawyers, and pilots. They’re expensive because they provide immense value. But their value depends on them showing up. No surgeon, no surgery. If your goal is to build something bigger than yourself, linear growth won’t cut it. Exponential Growth: Leveraging Multipliers Exponential growth is where the magic happens. Here, leverage skyrockets. You can work for five years and see nothing, then one weekend in a garage changes everything. Exponential growth is uncomfortable because it’s not easy to predict. In linear growth, you can predict success because you’re following a known path. 1+1 will always equal 2.


In exponential growth, you will fail 99% of the time—but the 1% that works overshadows all failures. Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Elon Musk, Mr. Beast—they all looked like failures until they didn’t. The only thing that matters is the big win at the end. Linear thinkers are 99% right but 100% wrong—because they never reach the game-changing breakthrough. Exponential growth rewards patience, persistence, and adaptability. Every failed iteration builds the foundation for eventual success. Start Young, Start Small, Start Now The earlier you start chasing exponential growth, the easier it is. A small example: If you earn $500/hour, risking 100 hours feels like losing $50,000.
If you earn $50/hour, those same 100 hours only risk $5,000.
If you earn $0/hour, you have nothing to lose. The Best Investment? Yourself. People love to talk about investing in crypto, stocks, startups. But the best investment? You. Because: Other people’s mistakes can tank your investments.


Their limitations become your limitations.


Their failures become your failures. When you invest in yourself, you own the wins and the losses. Would you rather trust a stranger’s competence—or build your own? Milk that rots in a controlled way becomes yogurt.
A grape that rots in a controlled way becomes wine. Controlled mistakes bring growth. Use your failures. MAKING NO MISTAKES IS THE WORST MISTAKE Some people fear doing the wrong thing, so they do nothing. This is a reminder: Doing nothing is wrong. How to do nothing wrong: Make the most of your mistakes. If you try once, mess up, and quit—you're the guy who failed. If you keep iterating, people will eventually recognize you as the O.G. who gets things done.


Control your failures. Don’t let mistakes ruin you—channel them into growth. The world doesn’t wait for you to catch up. Every moment spent hesitating is a moment lost to those who take action Final Thought: Grow or Die The stock market grows by 7–10% every year. Inflation is rising. The world moves forward no matter what. If you’re stagnant, you’re already falling behind. You either grow—or you die. And the price of dying is much higher. Enjoy the rest of your day. ~ Praise Join my newsletter. where I break down high-performance strategies for creators, indie hackers, and anyone tired of being stuck. No fluff. No recycled self-help nonsense. Real insights to help you outperform, outlast, and outgrow the competition. 📩 Subscribe now (or click the subscribe button on Hackernoon and I’ll add you). You Think Growth is Expensive? Try Staying the Same People avoid investing in growth because they think it costs too much. A gym membership, a course, starting a business—it all feels like a financial drain. But do you know what costs way more? Not growing at all. Not growing at all. If you don’t invest in your skills, you don’t stay the same — you shrink. If you don’t improve your health, you pay for it later in medical bills and lost energy. If you don’t grow your income, inflation erodes your lifestyle. If you don’t invest in your skills, you don’t stay the same — you shrink. If you don’t invest in your skills, you don’t stay the same — you shrink. If you don’t improve your health, you pay for it later in medical bills and lost energy. If you don’t improve your health, you pay for it later in medical bills and lost energy. If you don’t grow your income, inflation erodes your lifestyle. If you don’t grow your income, inflation erodes your lifestyle. There is no neutral in life — everything is either growing or decaying. So being stagnant (in the most generic sense) means you’re growing at the same rate the world moves. Anything less is dying. Look at businesses: the ones that stop innovating? They die. Blockbuster, Kodak, MySpace—they all refused to grow. They paid the price. Look at people: The ones who settle for comfort? They get weaker, slower, and less relevant. Growth isn’t an expense. It’s an investment. The only way to guarantee your survival—financially, mentally, and physically—is to keep expanding. It’s an investment. Growth is always cheaper than dying. Growth is always cheaper than dying. The Cost of Short-Term Thinking Most people underestimate how much they trade long-term growth for short-term comfort. The small, daily decisions that seem harmless—grabbing a quick dopamine hit, skipping a workout, avoiding a difficult task—compound over time into stagnation. If you’re in Nigeria, a bottle of soft drink is more or less the price of a bag of sachet water. Properly hydrating yourself for sustained energy for at least 3 days is the same price as flooding your system with dopamine and energy that lasts for about an hour and leaves you more drained. This cuts across other areas of your life. Growth is cheaper than dying. The problem isn’t the cost—it's the mindset. We get used to prioritizing what feels good now over what keeps us strong later. And before we realize it, our daily indulgences become our greatest limitations. The Two Paths of Growth There are two types of growth: Linear Growth: Climbing the Ladder Exponential Growth: Leveraging Multipliers Linear Growth: Climbing the Ladder Linear Growth: Exponential Growth: Leveraging Multipliers Exponential Growth: Linear Growth: Climbing the Ladder Linear Growth: Climbing the Ladder Linear growth is when the value of leverage is 1. Most people grow linearly. Climb the corporate ladder. Add one rung at a time. Earn +1 more each year. Climb the corporate ladder. Add one rung at a time. Earn +1 more each year. Linear growth is predictable. Input X → Output X. Input 2X → Output 2X. Input X → Output X. Input X → Output X. Input 2X → Output 2X. Input 2X → Output 2X. The problem? You always have to push. If you stop, you die. You always have to push. Linear growth works for specialists—surgeons, lawyers, and pilots. They’re expensive because they provide immense value. But their value depends on them showing up. No surgeon, no surgery. If your goal is to build something bigger than yourself, linear growth won’t cut it. linear growth won’t cut it. Exponential Growth: Leveraging Multipliers Exponential Growth: Leveraging Multipliers Exponential growth is where the magic happens. Here, leverage skyrockets. You can work for five years and see nothing, then one weekend in a garage changes everything. one weekend in a garage changes everything. Exponential growth is uncomfortable because it’s not easy to predict. In linear growth, you can predict success because you’re following a known path. 1+1 will always equal 2. In exponential growth, you will fail 99% of the time—but the 1% that works overshadows all failures. In linear growth, you can predict success because you’re following a known path. 1+1 will always equal 2. In linear growth , you can predict success because you’re following a known path. 1+1 will always equal 2. linear growth In exponential growth, you will fail 99% of the time—but the 1% that works overshadows all failures. In exponential growth , you will fail 99% of the time—but the 1% that works overshadows all failures. exponential growth 99% of the time—but Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Elon Musk, Mr. Beast—they all looked like failures until they didn’t. until they didn’t. The only thing that matters is the big win at the end. the big win at the end. Linear thinkers are 99% right but 100% wrong—because they never reach the game-changing breakthrough. 99% right but 100% wrong—because Exponential growth rewards patience, persistence, and adaptability. Every failed iteration builds the foundation for eventual success. Exponential growth rewards patience, persistence, and adaptability. Start Young, Start Small, Start Now The earlier you start chasing exponential growth, the easier it is. A small example: If you earn $500/hour, risking 100 hours feels like losing $50,000. If you earn $50/hour, those same 100 hours only risk $5,000. If you earn $0/hour, you have nothing to lose. If you earn $500/hour, risking 100 hours feels like losing $50,000. If you earn $50/hour, those same 100 hours only risk $5,000. If you earn $0/hour, you have nothing to lose. The Best Investment? Yourself. People love to talk about investing in crypto, stocks, startups. But the best investment? investing in crypto, stocks, startups. You. You. Because: Other people’s mistakes can tank your investments. Their limitations become your limitations. Their failures become your failures. Other people’s mistakes can tank your investments. Other people’s mistakes can tank your investments. Their limitations become your limitations. Their limitations become your limitations. Their failures become your failures. Their failures become your failures. When you invest in yourself, you own the wins and the losses. Would you rather trust a stranger’s competence—or build your own? Milk that rots in a controlled way becomes yogurt. A grape that rots in a controlled way becomes wine. Milk that rots in a controlled way becomes yogurt. Milk that rots in a controlled way becomes yogurt. A grape that rots in a controlled way becomes wine. A grape that rots in a controlled way becomes wine. Controlled mistakes bring growth. Use your failures. Use your failures. MAKING NO MISTAKES IS THE WORST MISTAKE Some people fear doing the wrong thing, so they do nothing. This is a reminder: Doing nothing is wrong. Doing nothing is wrong. How to do nothing wrong: How to do nothing wrong: Make the most of your mistakes. If you try once, mess up, and quit—you're the guy who failed. If you keep iterating, people will eventually recognize you as the O.G. who gets things done. Control your failures. Don’t let mistakes ruin you—channel them into growth. Make the most of your mistakes. If you try once, mess up, and quit—you're the guy who failed. If you keep iterating, people will eventually recognize you as the O.G. who gets things done. Make the most of your mistakes. If you try once, mess up, and quit—you're the guy who failed. If you keep iterating, people will eventually recognize you as the O.G. who gets things done. Make the most of your mistakes. Control your failures. Don’t let mistakes ruin you—channel them into growth. Control your failures. Don’t let mistakes ruin you—channel them into growth. Control your failures. The world doesn’t wait for you to catch up. Every moment spent hesitating is a moment lost to those who take action Final Thought: Grow or Die The stock market grows by 7–10% every year. Inflation is rising. The world moves forward no matter what. If you’re stagnant, you’re already falling behind. If you’re stagnant, you’re already falling behind. You either grow—or you die. And the price of dying is much higher. Enjoy the rest of your day. ~ Praise Join my newsletter. where I break down high-performance strategies for creators, indie hackers, and anyone tired of being stuck. No fluff. No recycled self-help nonsense. Real insights to help you outperform, outlast, and outgrow the competition. Join my newsletter. where I break down high-performance strategies for creators, indie hackers, and anyone tired of being stuck. No fluff. No recycled self-help nonsense. Real insights to help you outperform, outlast, and outgrow the competition. my newsletter . my newsletter outperform, outlast, and outgrow the competition. 📩 Subscribe now (or click the subscribe button on Hackernoon and I’ll add you). 📩 Subscribe now (or click the subscribe button on Hackernoon and I’ll add you). Subscribe now Subscribe now

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

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