You are offered a job that lasts for 7 weeks. Choose your salary:
(A) $100 on the first day, $200 on the second day, $300 on the third, and so on.
OR
(B) 1 cent on the first day, 2 cents on the second, 4 cents on the third, 8 cents on the fourth, doubling each day.
>>
Most people unfamiliar with exponential growth choose salary A.
If you did you would earn 2800 in week 1, then $7700, $12600, $17500, $22400, $27300 then $32200, for a grand total of $122,500.
Not bad. That money may get you where you want to go.
But...
Those who choose salary B earn $1.27 in week 1, then $162.56, $20807.68, $2,663,383.04, $340,913,029.12, $43,636,867,727.36 then $5,585,519,069,102.08
for a total of $5,629,499,534,213.11.
My simple point is this: in an environment of exponential growth, don’t let yourself be fooled by small numbers.
I also acknowledge that in a real world envionment exponential growth rarely persists because resources run out, or there are fewer people to infect.
Stay well. ❤️
Related wisdom from steph:
x.com/sclawr/status/…