In partnership with
Today’s Idea
Being late rarely feels catastrophic in the moment. A few minutes here, an hour there.
But delay has a hidden multiplier: the longer you wait, the steeper the cost becomes.
This edition is brought to you by our sponsor:
The Simplest Way to Create and Launch AI Agents and Apps
You know that AI can help you automate your work, but you just don't know how to get started.
With Lindy, you can build AI agents and apps in minutes simply by describing what you want in plain English.
→ "Create a booking platform for my business."
→ "Automate my sales outreach."
→ "Create a weekly summary about each employee's performance and send it as an email."
From inbound lead qualification to AI-powered customer support and full-blown apps, Lindy has hundreds of agents that are ready to work for you 24/7/365.
Stop doing repetitive tasks manually. Let Lindy automate workflows, save time, and grow your business
The Cost of Being Late
In 2007, researchers at MIT studied the impact of flight delays.
A ten-minute hold-up at one airport didn’t just inconvenience a few passengers—it cascaded across the network, creating hours of knock-on disruption. One late departure meant missed connections, grounded crews, and millions lost.
That’s the quiet truth about lateness: it compounds.
It shows up in daily life too. The meeting that starts late eats into the next one. A late reply to a client email creates space for doubt. Paying an invoice late doesn’t just add interest, it strains the relationship.
Economists even have a term for it: delay costs.
In logistics, being late can increase expenses by multiples. In medicine, a delayed diagnosis often means treatment that is riskier and more expensive. In careers, postponing decisions like learning a skill or moving jobs can cost years of growth.
We tell ourselves “a few minutes won’t matter.”
But time isn’t linear when it comes to delay, it’s exponential.
How You Can Apply This
Spot the ripple effect. Ask: If I’m late here, what else does it delay? Sometimes the true cost isn’t this moment—it’s the chain reaction.
Front-load the margin. Build small buffers before deadlines, commutes, or calls. A 10% margin often prevents a 100% breakdown.
Prioritize beginnings. The earlier the delay, the worse the ripple. Guard the start of projects, meetings, and mornings with discipline.
Translate time into money. When tempted to push something off, estimate the cost: If I delay this proposal by a week, what revenue might slip away? Making it tangible helps decisions stick.
Build a reputation for punctuality. In business, trust compounds too. Showing up on time signals respect—and prevents the silent erosion lateness creates.
What To Remember
Until next time,
— Quiet Moves