Most people think success comes from a single “big break.” But Taylor Swift shows us the opposite is true. Her rule is simple: Drip, not drop. Don’t wait years for one big reveal. Build momentum by releasing smaller, regular updates that compound over time.
It’s a rule that has made her the most successful musician of her generation, and one of the most effective strategists in any industry.
How Taylor Swift uses the ‘drip, not drop’ approach to success
Traditional entertainment was built on the “big drop.” An artist worked for years on an album, released it, and hoped the hype lasted. In many ways, Swift rewrote that playbook.
In the last five years, she’s released nine studio albums, including re-recordings of her back catalog, put out a concert film, and went on a global, record-breaking tour.
Each project creates its own wave of attention and, crucially, points to the next. Fans never feel the silence between cycles.
Software follows the same principle. Gone are the days of boxed “Version 5.0” releases. Now companies ship small updates all the time — bug fixes in April, new features in June, experiments in August. Modest on their own, together they keep products fresh and users engaged.
How you can apply this genius rule to your own life and career
Most of us treat our careers like the “big drop.”
We go quiet, work for months or years, then unveil it all at once: the resume update, the promotion, the polished project, even personal milestones like a fitness transformation. And then … silence.
The problem? You lose momentum, and people forget in between. The Swift strategy is to break big goals into smaller, visible steps that build trust and anticipation.
In your professional life:
Share progress, not just outcomes: Instead of waiting until a project is perfect to unveil it, show the draft, the prototype, or the early idea. Post about the challenges you’re working through or the milestones you’ve just cleared. This gives people visibility into your process, not just the polished end product. This often sparks collaboration or support you wouldn’t have received otherwise.Celebrate intermediate wins: This could be a finished draft, a solved problem, a new partnership. This is the infrastructure you are building on your way to your end goal. All of these steps are valuable.Involve others: Ask for feedback from your supervisors, share credit with your peers, and highlight collaborators. When you shine, others do, too.Make it continuous: A resume update every few years isn’t enough. Show movement week by week, month by month.
In your personal life:
This strategy also applies beyond work. You can use it to grow individually, and in connection with others
Learning a new hobby or skill? Showcase the messy beginner stage, on social media, to your close circles of friends — not just the end product. Training for a marathon? Chronicle, and share, your stamina gains mile by mile, not just the finish line. Forging new bonds? Even relationships will benefit from this approach. Small, consistent and thoughtful acts will develop into trust far more than a grand gesture once a year.
Why momentum beats perfection every time
The beauty of this approach is that it takes the pressure off perfection. Not every drip has to be flawless. Some will underperform. But as long as you keep the cadence, the compounding takes care of itself.
Over time, people will stop seeing you as someone who delivers occasionally, and start seeing you as someone who is always moving, always building. That reputation attracts opportunities, allies, and trust.
Once you have that reputation, each new “drip” carries more weight. Small updates no longer just show progress; they develop into significant influence, pulling in bigger projects, better collaborators, and opportunities you couldn’t have had access to before.
Don’t wait years for your ‘big break’ …start right now
Swift didn’t become a global icon by waiting for one perfect album. She did it the same way rockets are built and software evolves: by mastering cadence, gaining momentum, and turning her career into an unfolding story.
Don’t wait years for your “big break.” Start dripping progress — in your work, your projects, your life — consistently and visibly. Products get you a transaction. Drips build your momentum. And momentum is what carries you from one success to the next.
Sinéad O’Sullivan has an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she formerly served as the chief strategist of the HBS Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. She has also worked at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management and was a professor at Illinois Institute of Technology’s Stuart School of Business. She is the author of “Good Ideas and Power Moves: Ten Lessons for Success from Taylor Swift.”
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