get in on the ground floor
Meaning
To join or invest at the very beginning of a venture, before it grows, to gain the best opportunity or advantage.
Origin
From building imagery: entering at the ground floor (the start) and rising upward. By the early 1900s it was widely used in business/investment contexts to mean getting involved at the earliest stage.
Notes
Common in business/career talk: implies early involvement with potential upside. Often used in pitches; can sound salesy or hype-driven depending on context.
Examples
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If you get in on the ground floor of this startup, your shares could be worth a lot someday.
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She invested early because she wanted to get in on the ground floor of the new streaming platform.
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We joined the project at the proposal stage to get in on the ground floor and shape the direction.
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Heβs always looking for ways to get in on the ground floor of emerging tech trends.
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By signing up during the beta, customers could get in on the ground floor and influence the product roadmap.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed phrase: usually used as βget in on the ground floor (of + noun)β or βget in on the ground floor with + company/venture.β Tense/person can change (got/gets/getting).
Synonyms
- get in early
- be an early adopter
- get in at the start
- get in on the ground level
Antonyms
- miss the boat
- come in late