Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The 80/20 Principle summary
Richard Koch
The Secret to Achieving More with Less
18 mins
Table of Contents
The 80/20 Principle
Summary of 9 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 9
Usually, the largest share of the results (output) is produced by just a small part of the work (input).
Have you ever looked back on a project you worked on and found that most of your work was done right before the final deadline? Perhaps in the few days when you were almost out of time you achieved more than in all the previous weeks put together.
In fact, similar imbalances between effort and reward can be observed in a variety of different settings.
For example, many businesses have found that 20 percent of their product range actually accounts for 80 percent of their profits.
Similarly, 20 percent of motorists cause 80 percent of accidents. Most motorists drive carefully, while a small minority is careless and causes the majority of accidents.
This phenomenon is better known as the 80/20 principle: roughly 80 percent of work results – or output – are produced by 20 percent of the work effort, or input.
Why is this ratio not more balanced? Because not every cause has the same impact on results. In fact, causes can be roughly divided into two categories: a minority that has a great impact on results and a majority that has only a small impact. This results in an 80/20 split.
It should be noted, however, that the 80/20 principle is a simplification, and in reality the ratio tends to differ – for example, it could be 70/30 or 99.9/0.01.
Of course, the numbers may not always add up to a hundred either. For example, a 1997 study demonstrated that of 300 movies, just four (1.3 percent) generated 80 percent of ticket sales.
As you can see, manifestations of the 80/20 principle can be found in a variety of settings and as you will find out, this is valuable knowledge.
Want to see all full key ideas from The 80/20 Principle?
Key ideas in The 80/20 Principle
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The 80/20 Principle about?
The 80/20 Principle (1997) was named one of GQ's Top 25 Business Books of the Twentieth Century. It's about the 80/20 principle, which says that 80 percent of results are generated by just 20 percent of effort. This phenomenon has huge implications for every area of life, as it helps single out the most important factors in any situation.
Who should read The 80/20 Principle?
- Anyone who wants to get better results without expending more time
- Anyone who wants to free up more of their time and lead a happier life
- Anyone who wants to increase the profitability of their business
Categories with The 80/20 Principle
Books like The 80/20 Principle
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked
Start growing with Blinkist now
28 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers