“We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.”
-Roy Amara
The statement above comes from technology writer and futurist Roy Amara, also known as Amara's Law.
ChatGPT and Diffusion once led the wave of Gen-AI, but recently their progress seems to have slowed down, leading to a slight decline in their popularity. We often have overly high expectations for short-term results, but when the actual effects fall short of our expectations, we feel disappointed. On the contrary, many technological advances are gradual. Because we don't always focus on the cutting-edge developments, we only realize the significant impact of many small changes after long-term accumulation. Therefore, we underestimate long-term accumulation and lack the determination for continuous investment and iteration, thus missing many opportunities.
In terms of company management, sometimes as a CEO, we expect that one management action can completely change the fate. But often, due to the lack of patience and attention to details, we overlook the importance of gradually improving management efficiency.
The saying "Rome wasn't built in a day" has become more profoundly understood after several years of entrepreneurship. True progress requires continuous effort and improvement. Only after several quarters or even years of hard work can we truly see the accumulation of results.
I've often heard that starting a business should be done early. This is because soft skills accumulated in traditional enterprises may not necessarily apply to entrepreneurial environments. Entrepreneurs' deep understanding of business, operations, management, and strategy is often gradually formed through entrepreneurial practice, which indeed requires time to settle. Of course, if luck is good enough and some favorable opportunities arise, the growth rate of entrepreneurship can be accelerated. However, a solid foundation still requires continuous cultivation and effort.
Doing anything requires time and patience; take your time and do it slowly.