what is thesis creep

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The Wandering TRIP

December 6, 2019

Steven Wood

EXO IM , FCAU , Musings , RACE , TRIP

“Not all those who wander are lost.” JRR Tolkien

One of the most frequent monsters in investors’ collection of nightmares is “thesis creep.” This is when the dynamics have changed to the point where you can barely recognize the original reasons why you invested in the company in the first place. We are witnessing thesis creep in TripAdvisor’s hotel business as we speak.

But as it happens, I also just finished listening to a terrific book, The Beginning of Infinity (thank you to Dan Roller at Maran Capital, if you’re reading this!) in which physicist David Deutsch explains that the fundamental way humans have grown is by generating ideas. Generating ideas doesn’t come from data analysis, it comes from creative, right-brain thinking. As psychologist Gary Klein has shown, insights come when we least expect it, but they come from original thought, not by analyzing data. And those original ideas need to be tested and criticized in order to be validated and improved upon. The beginning of “unlimited knowledge growth,” lies in the concept of fallibilism. Only through correcting misconceptions from the past and hoping to find and change mistaken ideas that no one today finds problematic, can we initiate the process of “unlimited knowledge growth,” as Deutsch writes.

Now, I completely understand that thesis creep could identify subjective bias in an investor, and thus investors are correct to throw a red flag whenever he or she realizes it’s happening. Yet, as psychology Professor Daniel Kahneman has advised, truth seekers who’ve developed a process and an algorithm to help eliminate noise have taken a major step at improving the signal of information coming to that otherwise inherently biased human. While algorithms can help filter noise, the real world is inherently more complex and demands flexibility in judgement. Thus, we’ve found the only way our framework has been useful to us was to demand consistent evolution.

Armed with a honed (and continuously improving) process to eliminate noise, we should be less prone to subjective bias. Our ranking framework has no input for cost basis or initial investment date. It doesn’t consider how well we’ve done. While we keep track of old assumptions, the only thing that matters is our assessment of the current opportunity. The only thing the algorithm cares about is, what is it worth now? It helps us eliminate errors of omission, which is another way of saying it lowers opportunity costs, while also helping us prioritize our time, efforts and portfolio weightings. And everything we own must be continuously justified against the opportunity set.

When Thesis Creep is a Good Thing

Deutsche has posited that the only way to generate knowledge is to continuously evolve one’s thinking. It’s the definition of “thesis creep.” Some of our most successful investments were opportunities where the thesis creeped materially throughout the holding period. When we invested in Fiat, the thesis was similar to our successful investment in Ford, whereby it would consolidate the platforms and engineering efforts with Chrysler, saving significantly on capital spending, and thereby improving capital returns. This surely happened, yet even more of the returns were generated by a secular shift to SUVs and trucks, which powered Jeep’s stellar global performance. Sergio Marchionne himself pivoted on his 4-year investment plans and lowered spending on Alfa Romeo and Fiat to reinvest further in Jeep and Ram. They were very wise moves that powered the stock significantly higher even while the stock’s valuation multiple shrank. Since we still own Fiat through our Exor position, the thesis has once again shifted as it embarks on another merger, this time with Peugeot, and looks set to offset macroeconomic weakness through material cost savings.

Similarly, our investment in Ferrari was based on the company being able to gradually increase production given stretched waiting lists and a more diverse product portfolio. Given incremental profit margins are north of 70%, this was going to be very material for the company’s profitability. It has been, but the real kicker in the past 18 months was the brilliant Marchionne plan to introduce the Icona series. These are re-imagined versions of the company’s past iconic cars. They will be a permanent part of the collection, which brings the singular profit tailwind of a limited edition series to the regular operating profit of the company. By far, Icona will be powering the next few years of results at Ferrari and has already powered the stock to a breathtaking valuation. Icona was a thesis creep.

We could go on and on with positive case studies of thesis creep, as well as a good number of negative case studies, but thesis creep also showed up in our most successful biotech positions, oil & gas positions and in Live Nation, another Liberty-controlled company. In fact, when the thesis changes in a positive way, the same care and attention should be paid to the development and the opportunity should be re-assessed. Although the stock has likely reacted positively, it could have significantly under-reacted to the new fundamental range of possibilities. That’s as clear a buying opportunity as we can hope to have.

If we’re going to hold a stock for multiple years, it’s hard to own something where the opportunities aren’t dynamically changing. But furthermore, we’ve witnessed over a shorter time horizon of just a year or two, it’s actually the developments which the market was least expecting that drive the stock returns. “Of course,” this is true, we would say. Yet, we must also be humble enough to admit, we’re probably not going to be able to legally know that development before everyone else. That means by definition your returns are going to be driven by unexpected events and a changing thesis.

Post Catalyst Investing

Many investors still follow a catalyst-based investing process, whereby they outline the reasons why they will own a stock over a specific time period. More thorough investors might even conduct a “pre-mortem” and imagine all the ways the stock could turn out to be a failure. As signposts are triggered, it catalyzes actions the investor has decided upon at the inception of his investment. The problem with this approach is that stock reactions to catalysts are becoming increasingly unpredictable. Counter-parties are now mostly robots or other investors with a 1-2 week time horizon. If the stock hasn’t positively reacted to your bullish catalyst when it gets announced, as we estimate is the case in a solid majority of catalysts in recent years, should you really sell it? That was clearly part of the original thesis, and when the dreaded thesis creep enters the scenario, most investors will exit a position. But if the developments are positively surprising you in an investment, and the stock fails to reflect it, is the right thing to sell it? We think the right approach is to re-assess the situation with a pair of fresh eyes. You may want to buy more rather than exit in this case of thesis creep.

Of course, we want the thesis-creeping developments to go in the positive direction, as opposed to trending downhill. In our framework, we assess the “preconditions,” that drive performance as the qualitative factors we look at: management, governance, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, among many others. These are the factors that drive performance to the top or bottom end of the range of possibilities. We are unapologetic about being post-catalyst investors, though of course, we can’t help but do pre-mortems and foresee a roadmap of triggers where we think our version of reality will prove the markets’ incorrect and lead to positive or negative surprises.

My friend Chris Mayer recently used David Deutsche’s book to extrapolate another investment lesson: good management teams with significant skin in the game have a way of overcoming the difficulties that are presented to them. They solve problems so the investor doesn’t have to worry about it. In his recent article ( click here to read it ), Chris quoted a pithy answer Warren Buffet made to a question about how closely he follows Apple. “Well if you have to closely follow a company you shouldn’t own it!” Buffett has always demanded management teams with skin in the game and a natural passion for overcoming the problems presented to them.

Another good friend, Bill Carey at Cortland Associates, joked about the perils of thesis creep in saying, “First it’s a growth stock, then it becomes a GARP stock, then it becomes a value stock, then it becomes a turnaround, and then finally it ends with a restructuring story. There’s always a reason to justify owning something.” Bill has avoided thesis creep his entire successful career by lowering the number of variables that drive the business models he invests in. He seeks simplicity, low capital intensity, low labor intensity, and generally less stakeholders that can damage the thesis. A lower concentration of these essential corporate elements reduces the risks that any of the stakeholders’ decisions can change the thesis materially.

That means Bill has done incredibly well by combining both a valuation discipline with business models today that are universally acknowledged to be “high quality,” such as major internet properties, exchanges, payments processors and database companies. The only problem is that while those were viewed as “boring” stocks for much of his career, professional investors have herded into them over the past few years. While many of these stocks seem boring and without a “catalyst,” the herd has correctly realized that the risks of the thesis changing in these companies over time is low. While they’re not risk-free, investors have pushed the earnings yields of these companies close to the risk-free rate of today: essentially nothing. I’ve tried to help Bill, in vain, find opportunities elsewhere, as many of his past favorite positions have also reached breathtaking valuations. It’s likely he’s going to have to familiarize himself better with thesis creep over the next decade.

The wandering TRIP

TripAdvisor doesn’t fit that “quality” mold of having very few thesis-changing risks. While it has hundreds of millions of people who use the site, the monetization channels have historically been very concentrated to Expedia and Booking, and the company has the chronic, now acute, Google problem. One decision by one actor (in this case, Google) can lead to thesis creep. And while we’ve never assumed hotels would be a great business for TripAdvisor except in our most extreme bullish scenarios (<10% probability), we hadn’t anticipated it could lose 15-17% of its business in a shorter time frame.

Our approach to a position that is failing to launch or is performing contrary to our positively-skewed range of outcomes is to throw out all of our old assumptions. We have to re-underwrite the investment with a completely fresh set of eyes and assumptions. Chris has taken time to come up with his own assumptions on TripAdvisor, and while they diverge from my assumptions from earlier this year, we both ended up at the same outcome a couple of weeks ago: the company can digest “ The Google Squeeze ,” and still capitalize on the very important and significant addressable markets of Experiences and Dining in addition to the advertising monetization potential.

As we detailed in a new research note to our investors this morning , Google has moved to aggressively eliminate unpaid links from its hotel search results pages, despite nearly half of this traffic including the word “TripAdvisor” in it. We could hardly characterize this as user-friendly and it risks turning the company’s valuable search tool into the yellow pages. Yet, we now assume that up to 16% of the company’s revenue (the total revenue generated by this free traffic) could be eliminated over the next few years. We had previously assumed this SEO traffic was defensive, and now we only believe half is. This development has resulted in a creeping thesis at TripAdvisor.

But as opposed to mindlessly selling something due to “thesis creep,” we decided to purchase more shares after we completely re-assessed the situation. Half of the company’s revenue is growing north of 25% going forward, which combined with cost cutting plans, allows the company to continue growing profitability much more quickly than consensus estimates. The management of the company over the next few years will determine whether or not this was a good move. The future is in the hands of a very capable board and a very entrepreneurial CEO. TripAdvisor CEO Steve Kauffer has a great reputation in the travel industry, but perhaps not on Wall Street. True greatness is born of difficult times, so the next couple of years will determine whether his travel industry or Wall Street reputation survives.

This Process Has Already Worked

At the beginning of the year, we wrote “ Boiled Frog Prevention ,” in which we talked about our then most recent mistake, Flybe. The opportunity had been a slowly deteriorating situation where dramatic downside deviations had emerged. With the emergence of Brexit, we had focused on the passenger weakness and figured it was digestible. Instead, we should have focused on the fundamentals completely out of the company’s control: foreign exchange. The company’s cost base heavily skewed to US dollars but it could only sell tickets in pounds. A most material development happened over our holding period, but we under-reacted to the development. This led to a process improvement at GreenWood whereby a new set of eyes must completely throw out the old assumptions on a stock if it fails to perform in line with prior assumptions.

As it happened, we had a new set of eyes join the company just months before, and Chris re-underwrote Flybe, Telecom Italia, and Piaggio. Our mutual conclusion from that exercise was to sell Flybe, locking in a ~50% loss rather than the 99% loss that materialized over the next couple of months, continue to hold Telecom Italia, and actually buy more of Piaggio. All three decisions have turned out to either add alpha for us this year, or save us from a worse loss. Prior to Chris re-underwriting TripAdvisor a few weeks ago, he re-underwrote our coinvestment this summer. The process only reinforced our conviction in the opportunity and allowed us to buy more before we became restricted. It’s still early days, but it turned out to be the exact right decision. However we admit, the thesis didn’t really change in all of these scenarios, it was more a “failure to launch.”

In trying to eliminate human bias from decision making, many people find it easier to rely on rules of thumb or checklists. They help investors avoid past mistakes when they overlooked something material. We’re human and have flaws. Checklists won’t let you overlook anything material as, can often happen. Yet, as popularized by Atul Gawande, checklists are designed to work even when the pilot or nurse doesn’t have their full faculties present. It should work even when they are exhausted from working over 12 hours. Because the downside of their mistakes have life-changing consequences.

Investing is not an unconscious process, it’s a highly conscious process and should be the start of “unlimited knowledge growth,” as David Deutsche puts it. It should be one where we constantly challenge assumptions, particularly when our views diverge from Mr. Market’s. We call this the “expectations gap,” and have focused on building out this behavioral aspect of our ranking framework. Our greatest mistake this year was not being aggressive enough on position sizing even when this expectations gap shrank in TripAdvisor and a couple other positions. We cut TRIP in half this summer, but we should have clearly cut it further.

Could we suggest a new way to view thesis creep?

Perhaps we let it trigger a complete re-evaluation of the opportunity on a go-forward and unbiased basis rather than causing us to run for the hills, as most other well-trained investors do. And we should do this re-evaluation when both a positive thesis creep occurs as well as the negative ones. The conclusions with a fresh pair of eyes may surprise you. The minute that you can’t stand to look at something is usually the moment every other investor can’t stand it either and is capitulating. Do you really want to be that guy? We’d rather be on the other side of that trade in the price-agnostic selling.

We realize this view may be controversial and you may have strong opinions against it. We’d love to hear from you if you do. We’re more concerned with being right than sounding right. In fact, by proving us wrong, you’ll be helping us creep another thesis!

Disclaimer:

This article has been distributed for informational purposes only. Neither the information nor any opinions expressed constitute a recommendation to buy or sell the securities or assets mentioned, or to invest in any investment product or strategy related to such securities or assets. It is not intended to provide personal investment advice, and it does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any person or entity that may receive this article. Persons reading this article should seek professional financial advice regarding the appropriateness of investing in any securities or assets discussed in this article. The author’s opinions are subject to change without notice. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein are based upon proprietary research, and the information used in such process was obtained from publicly available sources. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but such reliability is not guaranteed. Investment accounts managed by GreenWood Investors LLC and its affiliates may have a position in the securities or assets discussed in this article. GreenWood Investors LLC may re-evaluate its holdings in such positions and sell or cover certain positions without notice. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of GreenWood Investors LLC.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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The Open Stance Academy

“thesis creep”.

Thesis Creep is equivalent to falling in love with a narrative… any narrative. It doesn’t matter if it is self-created or otherwise. The thesis is intact and those who buy into the thesis are correct unless someone disproves the thesis. Only when the narrative has been proven wrong does the term “Thesis Creep” spring into existence. The Open Stance is the narrative. Those that use it are the group at-risk of “Thesis Creep”. Everyone else is at-risk of missing the movement.

Thus far, the Open Stance “Thesis” is intact. NO ONE has disproven it. NO ONE has even suggested it doesn’t do exactly what I’ve said it does for the golfer – a fact that is encouraging to me as a researcher. But I think it is only a matter of time until someone suggests otherwise. I would, I think, like to have a public debate and Q and A with them about the golf swing to find out what is absolutely true in a forum that eliminates equivocation. That way, the narrative can either crash horribly and I become the Thesis Creep, or continue unabated and the Open Stance investors see huge returns in their ball-striking.

My instinct tells me that those using the Open Stance will be proven to be the Warren Buffets of the golf swing world, and the healing of the golfer may continue. The remainder of the golfing public will watch the narrative expand from the sidelines. Please understand, just because we have a resource like this site doesn’t mean it was created as an original idea. The Open Stance Academy is a crucible of research and experimentation. I’ve done all the research already. My students are reaping the benefits already – some without even meeting me for a lesson.

That is the whole point! The Open Stance doesn’t require lessons if you believe the research has been rigorous, which is the case. It only requires that you do it with the same rigor with which it was brought to the surface. My opinion is that the only thing that will “Creep” is your scores. And they will creep… lower.

John Wright – Founder The Open Stance Academy

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Marc Cohodes’ Short Selling Strategy Explained

February 6, 2023
- Brandon Beylo

Marc Cohodes from the Big Short is one of the most popular short sellers in the game. He’s spent the last few decades exposing failing business models and fraudulent management teams as a PM at Copper River Management, greatly increasing his net worth in the process. Today he manages his own money with the same passion for finding and exposing frauds.

This blog post outlines five tactics Marc uses to find new short ideas. These tactics are:

“The Wig” Indicator
Bet The Jockey
The Eighth Grader Test
Fight or Flight
Thesis Creep

Let’s get after it.

Tactic 1: The “Wig” Indicator

Marc loves betting against executives with perms. Okay, not precisely, but hear me out. Marc explained his “Wig” indicator in an interview with Edwin Dorsey (emphasis added):

“I think my batting average is close to 10% when I find an executive who wears a wig.”

You should be careful of executives who try to woo investors with fancy haircuts, plush offices, and extravagant private jets. They often hide something negative about the company, whether it’s deteriorating margins, poor M&A, or excessive executive compensation.

Tactic 2: Bet The Jockey

Marc makes his life easier by shorting companies with “career failure” CEOs. Here’s how he put it in his interview with Edwin (emphasis added):

“I always say bet the jockey, not the horse. An executive’s track record means a lot. If you’re going to short stocks, finding career failures, people who screw up in general again and again are much better targets than people who have had success their entire lives.”

This is arguably the most critical tactic in Marc’s shorting toolkit . Think of how many billions of dollars short sellers have lost betting against Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Marc Benioff, or Mark Zuckerberg.

Betting against perennial winners is a bad idea. Made worse by the fact that these winners play by different rules than conventional public market CEOs.

Never short a vision stock based on a valuation model.

Instead, investors should short “boring” stocks and avoid the visionary perennial winners. I like how Cliff Sosin of CAS Investment Partners explains this idea ( emphasis added):

“I like to short boring, bond-like stocks. I don’t chase highly shorted stocks or fads/popular stocks. Instead, I try to find companies whose competitive advantages will slowly decline over time. This creates a bond-like structure to the short bet and allows us to hold it for a long time due to lack of extreme volatility.”

Tactic 3: The Eighth Grader Test

Cohodes uses a simple test to filter for potential shorts, called the “Eighth Grader Test.”

If Marc can’t explain the business model to an eighth grader, it goes on the “potential short” list.

Complexity is like Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak. Enron disguised its fraud in highly complex and unregulated energy trading markets. Theranos operated in the complex world of cutting-edge biotechnology. The more complex, the easier it is to hide wrongdoing.

Peter Lynch had similar thoughts about complexity. Lynch only invested in stocks he could explain to a fifth grader (emphasis added):

“If you’re prepared to invest in a company, then you ought to be able to explain why in simple language that a fifth grader could understand , and quickly enough so the fifth grader won’t get bored. ”

This should be the first test you run when researching new ideas.

Tactic 4: Fight or Flight

Investors can learn a ton about a company from how they respond to targeted short reports. Do they lash out and retaliate? Do they sue the research firm or hedge fund and insult them over Twitter?

Or do they simply refute the claims in a press release and get on with their lives?

CEOs and companies that react violently towards such reports are great short candidates. Cohodes explains why (emphasis added):

“Another indicator is when a CEO picks fights with a short seller. That is always a terrible sign. CEOs should run their business, understand what the skeptics are saying, and execute. CEOs who focus on the shorts often get distracted and fail.”

Honest management teams don’t pick fights. They work on improving their business. Why waste time, energy, and resources on something they know isn’t accurate?

Tactic 5: Thesis Creep

The final tactic Marc uses to find short candidates is Thesis Creep. Thesis Creep occurs when companies recognize their failing business model and pivot to something more popular. We saw this during the Dot Com bubble when companies added “.com” to their names.

We’re seeing similar things today. Helbiz (HLBZ), a transportation company, announced it will “incorporate ChatGPT into several business departments.”

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 90%+ over the past year.

Recap: Marc Cohodes’ Five Tactics To Find New Short Ideas

We now have a five-step Short Idea Checklist to use when assessing any stock:

I hope you enjoyed this post on Marc Cohodes. If you want to learn more about how the game’s best traders profit from markets, check out our Trading Greats series.

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Brandon Beylo

Value investor.

Brandon has been a professional investor focusing on value for over 13 years, spending his time in small to micro-cap companies, spin-offs, SPACs, and deep value liquidation situations. Over time, he’s developed a deeper understanding for what deep-value investing actually means, and refined his philosophy to include any business trading at a wild discount to what he thinks its worth in 3-5 years.

Brandon has a tenacious passion for investing, broad-based learning, and business. He previously worked for several leading investment firms before joining the team at Macro Ops. He lives by the famous Munger mantra of trying to get a little smarter each day.

Investing & Personal Finance

AK is the founder of Macro Ops and the host of Fallible.

He started out in corporate economics for a Fortune 50 company before moving to a long/short equity investment firm.

With Macro Ops focused primarily on institutional clients, AK moved to servicing new investors just starting their journey. He takes the professional research and education produced at Macro Ops and breaks it down for beginners. The goal is to help clients find the best solution for their investing needs through effective education.

Tyler Kling

Volatility & options trader.

Former trade desk manager at $100+ million family office where he oversaw multiple traders and helped develop cutting edge quantitative strategies in the derivatives market.

He worked as a consultant to the family office’s in-house fund of funds in the areas of portfolio manager evaluation and capital allocation.

Certified in Quantitative Finance from the Fitch Learning Center in London, England where he studied under famous quants such as Paul Wilmott.

Alex Barrow

Macro trader.

Founder and head macro trader at Macro Ops. Alex joined the US Marine Corps on his 18th birthday just one month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He subsequently spent a decade in the military. Serving in various capacities from scout sniper to interrogator and counterintelligence specialist. Following his military service, he worked as a contract intelligence professional for a number of US agencies (from the DIA to FBI) with a focus on counterintelligence and terrorist financing. He also spent time consulting for a tech company that specialized in building analytic software for finance and intelligence analysis.

After leaving the field of intelligence he went to work at a global macro hedge fund. He’s been professionally involved in markets since 2005, has consulted with a number of the leading names in the hedge fund space, and now manages his own family office while running Macro Ops. He’s published over 300 white papers on complex financial and macroeconomic topics, writes regularly about investment/market trends, and frequently speaks at conferences on trading and investing.

Macro Ops is a market research firm geared toward professional and experienced retail traders and investors. Macro Ops’ research has been featured in Forbes, Marketwatch, Business Insider, and Real Vision as well as a number of other leading publications.

You can find out more about Alex on his LinkedIn account here and also find him on Twitter where he frequently shares his market research.

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Definition of creep

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

Definition of creep (Entry 2 of 2)

called also creep feeder

bleeder [ British ]
blighter [ chiefly British ]
crud [ slang ]
crumb [ slang ]
dirtbag [ slang ]
schmuck [ slang ]
scumbag [ slang ]
scuzzball [ slang ]
sleazebag [ slang ]
sleazeball [ slang ]
slimeball [ slang ]
sod [ chiefly British ]

Examples of creep in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Verb and Noun

Middle English crepen , from Old English crēopan ; akin to Old Norse krjūpa to creep

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing creep

bracket creep
creep up on
make someone's flesh crawl / creep
make someone's skin crawl / creep
make someone's skin / flesh creep
mission creep

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Dictionary Entries Near creep

Cite this entry.

“Creep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creep. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of creep.

Kids Definition of creep (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on creep

Nglish: Translation of creep for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of creep for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about creep

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Meaning of creep in English

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walk The baby has just learned to walk.
stride She strode purposefully up to the desk and demanded to speak to the manager.
march He marched right in to the office and demanded to see the governor.
stroll We strolled along the beach.
wander She wandered from room to room, not sure of what she was looking for.
amble She ambled down the street, looking in shop windows.
crawl There'd been a bad accident on the motorway and traffic was crawling.
trundle Lorries trundle through the narrow lanes.
creep He crept downstairs, hardly making any noise.
trudge They trudged wearily through the snow.
stroll We spent the afternoon strolling around Budapest.
amble He ambled over to the window.

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Phrasal verbs

Creep noun ( person ).

backhanded compliment
bow and scrape idiom
glad-handing
grovellingly
hagiographic
obsequiously
people pleaser
play up to someone
sycophantically

creep noun ( GROWTH )

accumulative
accumulatively
add fuel to the fire idiom
ratchet something up/down
re-escalate
re-escalation
reach a crescendo

creep | American Dictionary

Creep verb [i always + adv/prep] ( move carefully ), creep verb [i always + adv/prep] ( move slowly ), phrasal verb, creep noun [c] ( person ), creep | business english, examples of creep, translations of creep.

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Word of the Day

on top of the world

extremely happy

Keeping up appearances (Talking about how things seem)

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Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
creep (PERSON)
creep (GROWTH)
give someone the creeps
creep (MOVE CAREFULLY)
creep (MOVE SLOWLY)
Business Verb Noun
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What Is Scope Creep in Project Management?

“ Could you please add just this one thing…? ”

“ While you’re at it, it might be a good idea to also incorporate… ”

“ Would it be too much work to make just this one small change? ”

Like a curse that keeps plaguing projects across all business fields, these words are the heralds of the most terrifying boogeyman of project management — scope creep.

Scope creep is one of the top three reasons for poor project performance, which, among other things, causes astronomical financial losses.

According to research, 9.9% of every dollar goes to waste because of poor project performance, leading to a loss of $99 million dollars for every billion invested. And yet, only 6% of project managers list scope creep prevention as part of their risk management plan .

But what exactly is scope creep? Is it really that terrifying? What are the main causes of scope creep and is there a way to avoid it? These and other related questions are the focus of this article.

Table of Contents

What is scope creep?

Assuming you are familiar with the definition of scope , scope creep should be fairly easy to understand.

Scope creep is when a project manager is asked to do more work within the same amount of time and within the same budget constraints .

It sounds stressful — but is it really that bad?

Well, according to Wellingtone’s 2021 Annual Report , it may be:

Only 34% of organizations complete their projects on time,
Only 34% complete their projects without going over the budget, and
Only 45% say that their organization has a track record of success in projects.

One of the main reasons for these low numbers is precisely scope creep.

Two types of scope creep

Scope creep falls under two general categories — business creep and technology creep .

Although they both lead to more work and stress for the project team , it’s good to know the difference between them and possible ways to avoid them.

Business creep

Business creep can be the project manager’s fault when it happens as a result of poor understanding of the project objectives or stakeholder intentions, or as a result of poor preparation and leadership.

On the other hand, it can also be the stakeholders’ fault . This often happens as a result of indecisive clients who don’t know what exactly it is they want until they have a half-finished product in front of them.

Other common reasons for business creep include the change of:

Sponsors,
Other key stakeholders, or
Project goals and priorities.

This type of scope creep should always be expected — but it’s nigh-impossible to avoid because it depends on external factors.

Some things project managers can do to attempt to counter business creep, according to the Project Perfect White Paper Collection , are:

Identify the must-haves and nice-to-haves. Prioritize all the must-haves, set them up as separate deliverables , identify their risks, and make sure the stakeholders understand them.
Communicate the expectations to stakeholders.
Document everything that falls within scope and out of scope in the statement of work (SOW), and get the stakeholders’ approval.
Set up a formal scope change process.
Analyze all change requests and create an estimate of their expected time and cost.

Most stakeholders have only a vague idea of what goes into creating their requested product.

By explaining everything in great detail and presenting them with concrete examples and numbers, you can reach a greater understanding and reduce the chances of receiving unreasonable change requests.

Technology creep

Technology creep is much easier to avoid because it’s self-inflicted .

Simply put, technology creep happens when the project manager or project team try to:

Overdeliver in order to please the customer, or
Add new features to the product because they think they’re “cool” — even though no one asked for them.

This type of change is called gold plating .

Technology creep may also happen due to inadequate understanding of the project requirements , or sudden issues that result in emergency action without prior approval from the project manager.

The best way to combat technology creep is to always follow the proper procedure for making changes to the scope, and avoid aiming for the stars.

In other words, make a plan and stick to it as best as possible — that’s the shortest path to project completion.

Scope creep vs gold plating

Two very similar, and often confused terms in project management are scope creep and gold plating .

As explained earlier, scope creep occurs when the project manager is asked to do more work than was initially agreed upon, without being given more time or resources to do so. In the case of scope creep, the client or shareholders are the ones requesting the changes.

On the other hand, gold plating happens when the project team takes the initiative to add extra features, use better materials, or in other ways improve the end product.

At first glance, this might look like the project team burying themselves into a hole.

However, gold plating doesn’t necessarily lead to scope creep .

The reasons for gold plating may vary, and — while it does occasionally result in scope creep — gold plating is done consciously, with a specific goal in mind.

Some of the possible reasons for gold plating are:

Improve the project in the eyes of the client,
Gain approval from the management,
Show off the team’s abilities, or
Mask product deficiencies.

Does this mean gold plating is good?

Not necessarily.

While gold plating can result in a happy customer — and possibly a recurring one — it can also create a slew of unnecessary problems, such as:

Upsetting the client due to unauthorized changes,
The client refusing to accept the product due to unwanted changes,
Setting overly high standards or precedents for future projects, or
Missing deadlines because of self-imposed scope expansion.

In the end, although gold plating may occasionally lead to a favorable outcome — unlike scope creep — it comes at enormous risk and should be avoided if at all possible.

📖Project management terminology can get tricky. If you’d like to compare other easily confused terms, visit our Project Management Glossary of Terms and dive in.

Why is scope creep bad?

Based on the definition of scope creep, it’s clear that one of its adverse effects is increasing the project team’s workload . But is this enough to justify the statistic that 92% of projects fail because of it?

The increase in workload is only the first domino that makes all the others come crashing down.

And here is how.

Scope creep results in overtime and missed deadlines

Once the deadlines and schedules have been set, the project team needs to organize themselves within those boundaries. A case of scope creep crammed into that schedule throws the workflow off-balance and results in the employees having to put in more hours to finish the project on time.

More hours means less revenue per hour.

It also leads to stressed employees, and stressed employees are more likely to make mistakes, which could lead to further scope creep.

Add to this the high likelihood of breaching the original deadline, and the result is a frustrated team and a dissatisfied client.

One way to combat this issue is to charge by the hour, which could somewhat dissuade stakeholders from requesting too many changes.

However, this is difficult to pull off with longer projects and doesn’t account for scope creep that results from employee or project manager carelessness.

Scope creep leads to a drop in quality and a drained budget

Since good project managers always plan for scope creep, one or two cases don’t make a huge difference to the overall project. When scope creep starts snowballing is when the real problems begin.

Rushing to meet the deadlines while having to do more work than was initially planned inevitably leads to a shift in priorities. And, the items that end up at the bottom of that priority list tend to suffer in quality.

Additionally, a minor additional feature added in the middle of the project forces the team to go back to the drawing board, redo the entire design, and then have it manufactured all over again — rendering all the project team’s previous work practically useless.

Sudden appearances of scope creep in the design or features department can cost a company millions. According to PMI’s Survey, the global losses can amount to up to $2 trillion every year.

Scope creep harms the reputation

In a large number of cases, the end-users of the product that’s being created are regular people. Customers hold the bulk of the power of a company’s reputation. They pour their money into the company’s proverbial wallet because they trust the company and like their products. But it’s very easy to go from hero to zero if that trust is betrayed.

Take this hypothetical situation, for example.

A leading smartphone manufacturer announces a fantastic new phone with a slew of features that outperform the competition in every way.

Midway through the marketing campaign, a quarter of the announced features are removed, and the company announces that their new model will no longer feature a headphone jack. Plus, the charger will be sold separately.

Outrage and chaos ensue.

This particular example was presented because it somewhat resembles the outrage over Apple’s similar announcement . The difference is that Apple is a well-established company with a long history and millions of loyal customers. As a result, their reputation only took a small hit. A smaller company probably wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Free project management software

Prevent scope creep by centralizing and monitoring all project tasks on one platform using Plaky.

Primary causes of scope creep

Considering that scope creep happens as a result of stakeholder requests, it’s not uncommon to see an unwanted change in scope blamed solely on these stakeholders.

But, additional scope can creep up from all sides.

Over the years, some of the primary causes of scope creep have become apparent — and it so happens that most of the fault lies with project managers.

Here is why.

Poor communication

Project managers are the key mediators between clients, other key stakeholders , and project teams. A good project manager should have well-established two-way communication with all key parties.

From the project’s infancy, until completion, it’s the project manager’s job to successfully communicate the scope of the project to the client and stakeholders, as well as the project requirements to the rest of the team.

Once the project is well underway it’s not unusual to see key stakeholders who are completely unaware of what is happening on a given project because they are busy with their other work.

It’s the project manager’s responsibility to keep all key stakeholders informed about the progress of the project, any pitfalls, or changes that might be happening. Slipping a gentle reminder about periodic report meetings, or signoffs is all part of the job description.

Poor communication at any stage of the project may lead to scope creep.

One thing that should be avoided at all costs, however, is allowing free communication between stakeholders and the project team. This could allow stakeholders to bypass formal procedures and pitch changes straight to the team, which could eventually lead to unauthorized changes.

Poor management skills

To keep everyone and everything organized and under control, a project manager must be a good leader.

This goes for:

Managing teams,
Managing tasks,
Managing schedules,
Dealing with clients, and
Dealing with other key stakeholders.

Showing weakness and inexperience can lead to being overwhelmed by unreasonable demands. This can also lead to taking on more responsibilities than the team is able to handle.

A big part of being a strong leader is understanding priorities and being able to say “ No ” — especially when those priorities show signs of being replaced by whimsical requests.

🎓 Plaky Pro Tip

Want to learn more about the skills a good manager should possess? Check out this guide:

What are project management skills?

Excessive stakeholder involvement

Excessive stakeholder involvement is probably one of the top five culprits for scope creep. In combination with weak management, it becomes a recipe for disaster.

It’s not uncommon to encounter stakeholders who fashion themselves managers.

This can get especially tiring if there is a high number of stakeholders all pushing their own conflicting agendas.

With too many people having a say in how the project should turn out, it’s near impossible to find common ground — this inevitably leads to arguments and scope changes.

One way to reduce the chances of this is to limit the number of key stakeholders as much as possible.

If this is not possible, try the following:

Organize extensive discussion sessions before the beginning of the project, and
Make a clear plan, to understand everyone’s goals and motivations.

Late user feedback

Feedback is always welcome. And, not involving users in the early stages of project development in cases that require user feedback is a rookie mistake.

Late feedback often leads to the realization that there is something fundamentally wrong with the project, or that an important aspect of the product was overlooked — which inevitably results in scope creep.

By involving end-users from the very beginning, you avoid the risk of learning important information too late to avoid scope creep.

Poor preparation

Ezra Taft Benson once said, “ It is better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent. ” Despite it being used in a context completely unrelated to project management, the quote stands as one of the universal wisdoms of life.

Although too much preparation can also be detrimental, charging into a project blindly, or half-prepared, and expecting to wing it is irresponsible, at best.

Preparation is key to project completion.

Before starting the project, the manager needs to have a thorough understanding of:

The project objectives,
The stakeholders’ expectations and motives,
Everyone’s responsibilities,
Everyone’s deadlines,
Everyone’s schedules, and
Everyone’s deliverables.

Any vagueness or generalization can lead to confusion and insecurity.

Having the scope of the project defined in broad strokes, or having only a general idea of the client’s vision always results in surprises and drastic course changes down the road.

An inadequate understanding of the project might not only lead to poor execution, but also to poor estimation.

Scheduling, deadlines, and project budget all depend on the project manager’s ability to accurately estimate the cost of the project and the time needed to complete it.

In conclusion — poor preparation dooms the project to scope creep from the start.

How to avoid scope creep

Making changes to an ongoing project is inevitable — but experiencing scope creep doesn’t have to be.

Knowing this, it’s important that every project begins with the assumption that there will be changes down the road — and with plans on how to make sure those changes don’t result in scope creep.

Luckily, now that we know the main causes of scope creep, we can begin to plan ways to prevent it, or at least reduce the possibility of it causing project failure.

Here are five things you can do to help counter scope creep.

💡 Plaky Pro Tip

To keep scope creep at bay, it’s best to document any project assumptions you might have, no matter how trivial. More on the topic in this guide:

What are project assumptions and how to manage them?

Clearly define scope

Given that the scope statement is the document where all objectives, requirements, and deliverables for a project are defined prior to the beginning of project execution, an ill-defined scope can lead to a host of unexpected problems down the road .

To maximize the chance of project success, it’s important to have a well-researched and thoroughly defined list of requirements that will be discussed with all key stakeholders and gain all the necessary approvals before the project begins.

Create a clear change control protocol

We’ve established that making some changes to an ongoing project is inevitable — but that doesn’t mean that all changes should be accepted as such.

To avoid unnecessary and detrimental scope changes, a project manager should create a clearly defined change control protocol as part of a scope management plan .

A change control protocol is a plan for regulating proposed changes.

During this process, the proposed changes are evaluated, and either approved or rejected — based on their level of necessity to the project.

By ensuring all change requests go through the same change control process, the project manager:

Maintains control over the changes,
Gets a chance at negotiating, and
Prevents any unauthorized changes.

Communicate with key stakeholders

An important aspect to keeping the project scope under control is making sure that everyone who has significant stakes in the project is regularly informed about the progress of the project — and able to provide feedback.

This includes:

Being in touch with key stakeholders from the earliest stages of the project,
Making sure they understand the scope of work required to complete the project,
Familiarizing stakeholders with the change control protocol,
Being transparent regarding the project progress, and
Arranging regular meetings during the duration of the project.

Making sure that everyone is always on the same page eliminates any surprises, and reduces the possibility of change requests for parts of the project that have already been marked as finished.

Charge for changes

When you know that the change the client is requesting will create a major setback, but they refuse to back out, you could resort to charging for additional changes.

This move could either dissuade the client from pursuing the issue further, or else, get you a budget increase.

Another good tactic is to swap out old deliverables with new ones, if the deadlines allow it.

Although, this only works if the old deliverables are not yet finished.

Make use of project management tools

With the help of modern technology and the numerous project management tools, both paid, and free ones, such as Plaky , even the complicated project management processes can be made easier.

PM tools are not only useful for managing and tracking tasks for the project team. They can also allow important stakeholders to keep track of the project’s progress — improving transparency, and saving everyone’s time in the process.

PM software can also help inform everyone about the project changes and enforce them by automatically adjusting deadlines, schedules, and tasks across all fields once changes to the project scope have been made.

Are all changes in project management bad?

“ It’s important to overcome any perception that change is bad, especially in strategic initiatives ”, says Andy Jordan , President of the management consulting firm, Roffensian Consulting S.A.

According to him, bad changes in project management are related to the planning, i.e. changes in scope, budget, and schedule.

Good changes, on the other hand, are related to project alignment:

Taking advantage of new opportunities,
Making sure that the project remains true to its initial strategic goals, or
Aligning it to newly established priorities and requirements.

Jordan recognizes that even good change sets the project off-balance, and should be incorporated into initial project planning if at all possible, in order to soften its impact.

However, with the exception of the project’s end-phase, he claims that “ in all cases, the cost of not implementing good changes will likely be higher than the cost of implementing. ”

Choosing not to accept valid change requests due to a complicated scope change process, or the fear of scope creep is what is called scope kill , and is highly detrimental to projects.

Can even scope creep be good?

While not necessarily a good thing in itself, scope creep can occasionally have positive results, depending on how it’s handled.

According to PSMJ Resources , every case of scope creep can be an opportunity. Instead of fearing it, embracing it and using it for the company’s own benefit would be a better approach.

As they say, “ No project operates in a vacuum ”, so it’s important to look at the big picture. If scope creep can’t be avoided, then the best thing a project manager can do is find a way to exploit it instead of panicking and eventually painting themselves into a corner.

Jessica Hall talks about this in her speech titled “ There’s no such thing as scope creep ”. She stresses ruthless prioritizing and tradeoffs as the most important aspects of effectively managing a project.

If a new and unavoidable request has popped up, think, “ What can I give up to fit this in? ”. If no such thing is possible, leverage the situation by making the product better than originally planned and accept the client’s satisfaction and good reputation as rewards for your hard work.

After all, word of mouth is the best marketing tool.

Project success depends on how you handle scope creep

Scope creep is the wraith that haunts project managers everywhere. And, according to research, the sole culprit for the majority of project failures.

However, scope creep is not an untamable beast, and some even believe it can be a fantastic growth opportunity.

Perhaps scope creep is not as scary as it sounds, and perhaps it doesn’t need to be countered at every corner. Embracing scope expansion might actually lead to a slew of benefits as the existing and potential clients, users, and stakeholders take notice of your abilities.

After all, the riskiest ventures are often the most profitable. But this remains an option for the daring ones.

For those wishing to avoid it at all costs, preparation and strong leadership are key. Detailed planning, a firm stance at the negotiation table, and open communication are most of what stands between a project manager and a successfully completed project.

It’s easy to fall victim to scope creep — but it doesn’t have to be. If you use project management software like Plaky to keep your scope in check and track your project progress, you’ll be primed for success. Sign up for Plaky’s free account today and secure your projects against scope creep.

Atlassian. (2017, September 15). There Is No Such Thing as Scope Creep – Atlassian Summit U.S. 2017 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2PXF-Q_3MQ
Høylandskjær, M. (2019). Managerial Perceptions of Scope Creep in Projects: A Multiple Case Study [Masters thesis, Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics] . Umeå University. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1287334/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Jordan, A. (2016, Oct 10). Good Change vs. Bad Change. Project Management. https://www.projectmanagement.com/contentPages/article.cfm?ID=347569&thisPageURL=/articles/347569/Good-Change-vs–Bad-Change#_=_
Komal, B. et al. (2020). The impact of scope creep in project success: An empirical investigation. IEEE Access , 8 , 125755-125775. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3007098.
Project Management Insititute. (2018). Success in disruptive times: Expanding the value delivery Landscape to address the high cost of low performance . PMI. Retrieved December 20, 2021, from https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/pulse-of-the-profession-2018.pdf
Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (6th ed.). Project Management Institute.
PSMJ Resources, Inc. (2019, Dec 24). Can Scope Creep Be a Good Thing?. PSMJ. https://go.psmj.com/blog/can-scope-creep-be-a-good-thing
Sandler, R. (2020, October 13). New iPhones Won’t Come With Headphones Or A Charging Box Anymore. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2020/10/13/new-iphones-wont-come-with-headphones-or-a-charging-box-anymore/?sh=5382fce6265b
Suresh, B. (2005, Jun 6). Scope Creep Management [white paper]. Project Perfect. http://www.projectperfect.com.au/downloads/Info/info_scope_creep_mgmt.pdf
Wellingtone. (2021). The State of Project Management . Wellingtone. https://wellingtone.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-State-of-PM-2021.pdf

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What Is Privilege Creep and How to Prevent It?

Last updated on December 6, 2023

Privilege creep refers to the situation when employees gain new permissions without revoking the old, unnecessary ones.

This leads to gradually accumulating unnecessary permissions and rights over time, that grant access to excessive levels of sensitive data or systems.

In a company, every employee is included in a group of privileges that ensures them enough access rights to carry out their tasks. One such privilege could be the right to access a specific system resource, like folders, documents, reports, or other corporate data.

When an employee changes job roles and responsibilities within the organization, they are given new privileges. They often keep the previous privileges too, although the System Administrator should revoke them. This results in the unnecessary accumulation of access privileges called privilege creep.

Privilege creep is also known as access creep, permissions creep, or privilege sprawl. Access creep increases your organization`s attack surface. You can avoid that by using a privileged access management solution .

What Is a Privilege?

In information technology, privilege is the authority granted to carry out security-related functions on a computer system. A few examples of different privileges include the right to add new users, install software, shut down systems, configure networks, and more.

Even though privilege creep is a problem that affects a lot of businesses and organizations, many of them are unaware of it and how harmful it can be.

Why Does Privilege Creep Occur?

Privilege creep happens for a few reasons:

Managers and employees being generous with logins and passwords to avoid running to IT every time they need to complete simple tasks.
Switching roles and departments without removing previous user privileges.
Short-term access for various projects.
Filling in for coworkers.
Accounts that have been abandoned in third-party apps.

How Does Privilege Creep Happen?

Access creep typically starts with the most harmless activities related to employees moving through and working in an organization.

For example, as I mentioned above, an employee is asked to work on a project requiring access to resources or databases that they usually don`t have access to. So, they are given permissions to those resources. Due to a lack of coherent privileged access management , the privileges are never revoked, once they finished working on that project.

The same goes when an employee starts working in a new position for the company. This new role could be a promotion, a downgrade, or a lateral transfer to another department. If the user’s permissions from their previous roles are left in place, although no longer necessary, this will lead to privilege creep.

According to the privileged access management best practices , a System Administrator should revoke previous privileges as soon as they are no longer needed.

Why Is Privilege Creep a Security Risk?

It might lead to numerous security problems, even possible breach occurrences. Personnel with unrestricted access to the company’s corporate network can cause workflow, compliance, communication, efficiency, and high-level security problems.

At a first glance, privilege creep might not be an obvious issue. You might take it as a harmless mistake. However, it will turn into a significant problem if cybercriminals get hold of that user’s account. The unrevoked privileges will enable the hackers to gain access to a larger part of the company’s network.

Additionally, the IT and security teams will have a harder time pinpointing the threat’s location and scope.

Another risk that privilege creep poses is a stronger impact of insider threats. A disappointed or frustrated employee could abuse this unrestricted power to sabotage their employer.

How to Prevent Privilege Creep?

Establish appropriate access.

Identifying which members of your organization require access to which files and systems is the first step in preventing privilege creep. Assessing the applications and data your employees use for daily business operations is a very good method for determining which permissions are required and which can be safely removed.

Allow access based on roles

The most straightforward way to determine reasonable levels of access is to organize your employees by roles based on considerations like seniority level, office, department, and so on. Following this action, you can give each role a different set of permissions based on the specific tasks that each one entails. For example, accounting and finance department staff obviously require access to a company’s finance & accounting software. Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) , a powerful approach for managing access to confidential information and assets even enables you to automate the process of granting and revoking these default permissions.

Implement Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)

It is recommended that every cybersecurity platform has incorporated a strong Identity Governance and Administration solution that is rigorously followed. To make sure that employees only have the access and privileges required for their current job roles, it is essential to review and regularly (perhaps twice a year) audit employee access and permissions . This will also help identify any privileges that should be revoked.

Have fewer departments managing user privileges

Reducing the number of departments that manage user privileges is another critical aspect. This gives the organization more power to regulate and keep an eye on the privileges given to users.

Enforce the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP)

Keeping access to a bare minimum is now considered a best practice in cybersecurity due to the risks that come with granting unnecessary privileges. This strategy is known as the Principle of Least Privilege or POLP . Least privilege access states that employees within a company should only be granted access that is absolutely necessary for them to complete their tasks. In other words, no out-of-date permissions and no access rights that are granted “just in case”, these (not so) small mistakes that might lead to privilege creep.

Preventing privilege creep with Identity and Access Management (IAM)

How you implement appropriate access is heavily influenced by the size of your company. With some effort and strictness, smaller businesses can manage privilege creep, but larger organizations having hundreds or even thousands of employees, rely on automated solutions to manage the constant flow of new permissions.

With numerous different accounts spread across multiple applications and systems, it is extremely challenging to monitor each and every permission without an Identity and Access Management (IAM) tool that can automate privilege modifications, documentation, and reviews.

Have a Privileged Access Management (PAM) system in place:

Having a privileged access management solution allows the organization to quickly identify which privileges each employee has. It can be difficult to manage privileges within an organization’s environment and to make sure that access and security protocols are strictly adhered to, but doing so is essential if businesses want to reduce or even completely eliminate the risk of privilege creep. However, the entire process is time-consuming, tedious, and repetitive. Here is where Heimdal Privileged Access Management comes into play.

How Can Heimdal® Help?

A strong Privileged Access Management policy is the foundation of an effective counterattack method for privilege creeping. This could only be truly efficient through an automated technology that will help you monitor and safeguard privileged accounts from either external or insider threats . An automated PAM tool like Heimdal® Privileged Access Management will allow you to you escalate and deescalate rights from anywhere in the world from your Heimdal® Dashboard and even from your mobile phone. Additionally, it includes comprehensive incident reports that can assist you with both audit requirements and investigating what transpired on a machine.

It is advised to use it in combination with Heimdal® Application Control which enabes you to block or allow application execution in different ways: by file path, certificate, vendor name, publisher, MD5, and more. Supporting a granular approach, Application Control, together with the PAM tool, allows you to customize admins sessions – this combo constituting a shield against attacks that target sensitive memory areas, a shield that won’t let cybercriminals move laterally across the network, and also business assets will be well protected.

Heimdal® Privileged Access Management

Automate the elevation of admin rights on request;
Approve or reject escalations with one click;
Provide a full audit trail into user behavior;
Automatically de-escalate on infection;

Keep in mind that when employees have access to a lot of corporate data, the risk of employee data theft skyrockets. Even if they don’t intend to, your users could become insider threats if a cybercriminal manages to get their hands on their login information. Your users could also inadvertently download a compromised attachment, infecting you with ransomware .

While privilege creep affects many organizations, the accumulation of permissions frequently goes unnoticed for a very long time. Even after becoming aware of privilege creep, people often attach little importance to the problem. It is time to raise awareness and let our readers know about the consequences of a seemingly minor mistake that could even lead to some of the most sophisticated cyberattacks .

Alternatively, if you liked this article, make sure you follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , Youtube , and Instagram for more cybersecurity news and topics.

Antonia Din

PR & Video Content Manager

As a Senior Content Writer and Video Content Creator specializing in cybersecurity, I leverage digital media to unravel and clarify complex cybersecurity concepts and emerging trends. With my extensive knowledge in the field, I create content that engages a diverse audience, from cybersecurity novices to experienced experts. My approach is to create a nexus of understanding, taking technical security topics and transforming them into accessible, relatable knowledge for anyone interested in strengthening their security posture.

Privilege Creep: How to Deal With Excess Permissions

Privilege creep refers to the gradual build-up of unnecessary permissions in IT systems. Many companies struggle with privilege creep due to missing safeguards such as user access reviews . As a result, permissions stay active long past their intended use. Privilege creep often goes unnoticed at first. However, the build-up of permissions increases the risk and potential scope of cyber attacks, employee data theft and insider threats . Read on to learn what causes access rights to pile up and how organizations can stop privilege creep and protect their data!

What Is Privilege Creep?

The term privilege creep (also known as permission creep, access creep or privilege sprawl) refers to the process of users accumulating more and more permissions over time , giving them access to undue levels of private information or sensitive systems. Privilege creep is incredibly common . However, the businesses and organizations affected by this problem might not know what privilege creep is called or how dangerous it can be.

The source of privilege creep can be summarized in one sentence : New permissions are added, but old permission are never removed. This leads to users amassing more and more access over time, such as permissions in the local file server , shared files in Microsoft 365 or highly privileged accounts in third-party services .

Eventually, you are left with a mountain of privileges that acts as a ticking timebomb : If your company becomes the target of a cyberattack , unnecessary permissions allow attackers to steal as much data as possible or infect every corner of your network. To make matters worse, the build-up of inactive or orphaned accounts associated with privilege creep provides a convenient attack vector for hackers and cybercriminals. Not to mention the threat posed by disgruntled employees, as highlighted by this FBI PSA .

What Causes Privilege Creep?

The easiest way to explain how privilege creep works in practice is through an example : Let’s say that a member of your company, Tom, switches from the support team to the sales department. For this new role , Tom needs access to all sorts of new resources , such as talking points or price tables. So, to help Tom get to work as soon as possible, his new boss calls up IT and makes sure Tom gets access.

However: Switching departments also means that many of Tom’s old permissions , such as access to unresolved complaints or an official account in the support forum, are now no longer needed . But while new privileges are granted quickly so as to not slow down daily business, outdated permissions are often ignored, forgotten or quietly tolerated .

The result are over-privileged users , who receive more and more permissions every time they are given new tasks or assigned to new projects.

Reasons for Privilege Creep:

Switching Role/Department
Temporary Access for Projects
Covering for Coworkers
Reliance on Reference Users
Abandoned Accounts in Third-Party Apps

Dangers of Privilege Creep

While many organizations suffer from privilege creep, the build-up of permissions often goes unnoticed for a long time. Unlike missing permissions, excess privileges don’t interrupt you while you’re working. Even when people become aware of privilege creep, they tend to downplay the issue : So a colleague has access to files from his old department. What’s the worst that could happen ? Well, let me tell you…

First, there’s the threat to cybersecurity that over-privileged accounts pose. When employees have access to mountains of enterprise data , it vastly increases the risk of employee data theft . Even without malicious intent, your users can become insider threats against their will if a hacker manages to steal their credentials or they accidentally download an infected attachment, spreading ransomware in your system.

In the event of a network breach, intruders will use your permissions against you , moving freely through your network and stealing or encrypting as many files as possible .

Second, if access rights are incorrectly configured or organizations fail to adequately restrict access , it can violate privacy regulations such as HIPAA or the GDPR. For example, HIPAA not only mandates adequate security measures against cyberattacks, but the privacy rule also establishes a standard for access to protected health information (PHI) known as minimum necessary. Put simply, the minimum necessary standard requires access to PHI to be limited to those who absolutely need it in order to do their job.

This means that apart from outside attacks, healthcare organizations also need to protect data against unauthorized access from within to avoid privacy violations and hefty fines. A prominent example of this rule in action would be the 2011 case against a California hospital where members of staff accessed the health records of various celebrities , despite not being involved in their treatment, resulting in a fine of $865,000 .

How to Stop Privilege Creep

Because of the risks associated with unnecessary privileges, keeping access to an absolute minimum has become a best practice in cybersecurity . This approach is also known as the principle of least privilege or POLP.

Least privilege access means that members of an organization should only be given permissions that are strictly necessary for their job. In other words, no outdated permissions and no access rights granted “just in case”. You can think of least privilege as the opposite of privilege creep .

Define Appropriate Access

So, how do you implement least privilege access in practice? The first step to prevent privilege creep is to define who in your organization needs access to which files and systems . The only way to figure out which permissions are necessary and which you can safely remove is to look at the apps and data your team uses in day-to-day operations .

Grant Access Based on Roles

The easiest way to establish reasonable access levels is to group members of your staff into roles based on factors such as office, department or level of seniority . You can then assign permissions to each role depending on the specific responsibilities it involves. For example, members of the HR department obviously need access to your HR software. Implementing role-based access control or RBAC even allows you to automate the process of granting and revoking these default permissions.

Best Practices for Access Management In Microsoft® Environments

Our in-depth guide explains how to manage access securely and efficiently from a technical and organizational standpoint, including tips for implementation, reporting and auditing.

Review Permissions Regularly

In any workplace, employees occasionally need additional, short-term permissions to deal with special cases such as covering for a co-worker during their vacation or collaborating on a multi-department project . This is completely normal and there’s nothing wrong with granting extra privileges when there’s a good reason . However, make sure you have a process in place for admins to review these special permissions later on to make sure they don’t become permanent . This is commonly known as a user access review .

Bonus: 5 Tips Against Privilege Creep

Communication between HR and IT: It is crucial for HR to inform IT of every personnel change as soon as it happens so your admins can delete or deactivate accounts. Make sure to keep IT in the loop!

Don’t stockpile permissions: Access rights should serve a specific purpose instead of being assigned for hypothetical scenarios or as a shortcut to avoid proper workflows. Rather than granting an entire department access to sensitive data, name one person who is in charge of the system and one person who acts as their substitute. If both people are unavailable for whatever reason, you can still ask IT to adjust the settings.

Educate your staff: The best safety measures can’t protect you if your employees ignore them. Educate your team on basic cybersecurity, train them in how to handle enterprise data and, above all, explain to them why access control is so important.

Take responsibility: On an individual level, if you notice that you can still access files from your previous role or that a colleague’s accounts remained active after they left the company, don’t ignore the issue. Let the IT department know about the problem.

Secure all accounts: Computer networks don’t just include human users, but applications and device accounts as well. To learn how to secure all parts of your network, read our guide to zero trust architecture .

Preventing Privilege Creep with IAM

The question of how to enforce appropriate access depends heavily on the size of your organization . While smaller businesses can keep privilege creep at bay with a bit of effort and discipline , companies with hundreds of employees depend on automated tools to keep up with the flood of new permissions.

With hundreds of different accounts spread across various systems and applications , there is simply no way to keep track of every permission without an identity & access management solution that can automate privilege changes, documentation and reviews .

tenfold Access Management is the leading IAM provider for midmarket organizations . Thanks to our import feature and out-of-the-box plugins for common apps, you can deploy tenfold quickly & easily. Once it’s up and running, you’ll benefit from automated user management, detailed permission reporting and streamlined access reviews. There’s even an option to grant temporary permissions that expire on their own, no follow-up required.

tenfold acts as the central hub for all your access management needs, with support for Microsoft on-prem services as well as Microsoft 365 and third-party applications. Watch our video demo or sign up for free trial and see for yourself how easy IAM can be with the right tool!

What makes tenfold the leading IAM solution for mid-market organizations?

About the Author: Joe Köller

Joe Köller is tenfold’s Content Manager and responsible for the IAM Blog, where he dives deep into topics like compliance, cybersecurity and digital identities. From security regulations to IT best practices, his goal is to make challenging subjects approachable for the average reader. Before joining tenfold, Joe covered games and digital media for many years.

Index What Is Privilege Creep? What Causes Privilege Creep? Reasons for Privilege Creep: Dangers of Privilege Creep How to Stop Privilege Creep Define Appropriate Access Grant Access Based on Roles Review Permissions Regularly Bonus: 5 Tips Against Privilege Creep Preventing Privilege Creep with IAM

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What is Creep Failure and What are the Stages of Creep?

What is creep.

Creep is a type of deformation that occurs in materials subjected to a constant load over time. The deformation is permanent and results in a change in the shape of the material. Creep is most commonly observed in metals, alloys, and polymers.

It occurs when the molecules within the material are forced to move past one another. This movement can cause the material to deform over time, even if the load is removed. Creep can lead to a decrease in strength and stiffness of the material and may cause it to fail prematurely.

At the room temperature test, the elastic behavior of the material is of little practical significance.

But at elevated temperature, the strength becomes very much dependent on both strain rate and the time of exposure. Under these conditions, a number of metals behave like viscoelastic materials in many respects.

Creep Testing

A metal subjected to a constant tensile load at an elevated temperature creeps and undergoes a time-dependent increase in length.

The creep test measures the dimensional changes that occur at elevated temperature exposure, while the stress rupture test measures the effect of temperature on long-time, load-bearing properties.

Creep testing is a process of measuring the deformation of a material over time when it is subjected to a constant load or constant temperature. Creep testing can be used to measure the durability of a material, determine the stress-strain curve, and identify potential failure modes. Creep testing is typically performed on metals, alloys, and polymers.

The most common type of creep test is the constant load test. In this test, a sample is placed between two platens and loaded with constant stress & temperature on a Tensile Testing Machine.

In this test, the specimen is placed in a thermostatically controlled furnace and heated to a fixed temperature. The temperature is controlled by a thermocouple attached to the gauge length of the specimen. The deformation of the sample is then measured over time. The rate of deformation can be used to calculate the creep strain rate.

How Creep Test is Performed?

The first step is to select a suitable test specimen. The specimen should be small enough to deform significantly under the applied load, but large enough to measure accurately. The specimen should also be made from the same material as the component being tested.

The next step is to set up the apparatus for testing. The test specimen is subjected to prolonged constant load under a constant temperature on a Tensile Testing machine. The material deformation is plotted on a creep vs time diagram, which allows for the determination of the material’s creep properties. The specimen is usually made from metal alloys, plastics, or composites.

Creep Curve

The time-dependent deformation of material at constant stress is called creep. The simplest type of creep is a viscous flow.

To find out the engineering creep curve for a material, a tensile test specimen is subjected to a constant load at a constant temperature, and the stress in the specimen is noted as a function of time. The elapsed time of such tests may extend to several months.

Curve A-D is the idealized type of creep curve. The slope of the curve in the secondary creep is called creep rate E.

When there is an initial instantaneous extension ( strain E ), the rate of creep falls with time, After that, the creep rate gradually climbs until it reaches a peak, after which the rate steadily increases until the test specimen fractures.

The degree to which the three stages [i.e. primary, secondary and tertiary as shown in the above figure are readily distinguishable depends upon the magnitude of the applied stress and the temperature of the test.

In an engineering creep test, the load is maintained constant throughout the tests, so when the specimen elongates, the cross-sectional area decreases, and the axial stress increases.

There are methods of compensating for the change in dimensions of the specimen, so as to carry out the creep test under constant stress. When constant stress creep tests are made, there is no region of accelerated creep rate (i.e. tertiary creep, stage III) and a creep curve similar to curve B is obtained. This curve represents the basic creep curve of metal.

The first component, stage I, transient creep a decreasing creep rate with time. Next is the constant creep rate, i.e. viscous creep.

Creep Stages

The first stage of creep, known as primary creep, highlights a region of reducing creep rate, and the creep resistance of the material increases by virtue of its own deformation.

For low temperatures and stresses, the creep of lead at room temperature and primary creep is the predominant creep process. The second stage of creep, known as secondary creep, is a period of nearly constant creep rate, resulting from a balance between the processes of strain hardening (due to increased strain) and recovery (due to thermal softening) referred to as a steady state creep.

The tertiary creep is the result of structural changes occurring in the metal such as void formation and extensive crack formation.

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Material Welding is run by highly experienced welding engineers, welding trainers & ASNT NDT Level III bloggers. We strive to provide most accurate and practical knowledge in welding, metallurgy, NDT and Engineering domains.

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Creep test. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com/vectorwin

Creep Failure: What is It, How It Works, and Examples

Creep is a form of time-dependent plastic deformation that occurs in a material subjected to constantly applied stress. If enough creep damage accumulates, the material can fail due to excessive deformation or fracture. Creep is caused by the localized movement of atoms within the grain structure or along grain boundaries over a period of time. Creep failure can occur in all types of materials including metals, polymers, and ceramics. It typically occurs at elevated temperatures, but can also occur at ambient temperatures. From the deformation of gas turbine blades in aircraft to the deformation of concrete slab sidewalks, creep is common in many applications. Understanding creep and creep failure, and their effects on different materials, is essential to the successful and safe implementation of parts and structures. This article will focus on the definition of creep failure, how it works, and examples in different materials.

.css-2xf3ee{font-size:0.6em;margin-left:-2em;position:absolute;color:#22445F;} .css-14nvrlq{display:inline-block;line-height:1;height:1em;background-color:currentColor;-webkit-mask:url(https://assets.xometry.com/fontawesome-pro/v6/svgs/light/link.svg) no-repeat center/contain content-box;mask:url(https://assets.xometry.com/fontawesome-pro/v6/svgs/light/link.svg) no-repeat center/contain content-box;-webkit-mask:url(https://assets.xometry.com/fontawesome-pro/v6/svgs/light/link.svg) no-repeat center/contain content-box;aspect-ratio:640/512;vertical-align:-15%;}.css-14nvrlq:before{content:"";} What Is Creep Failure?

Creep is the time-dependent plastic deformation that occurs when a material is subjected to a continuously applied stress, typically in the presence of elevated temperatures. Creep failure is the failure of a material due to excessive accumulation of creep, or when the material no longer satisfies its intended function due to deformation or fracture. As stresses are applied at increased temperatures (typically about 30-40% of a metal’s melting point or 40-50% of a ceramic’s melting point) the dislocation of atoms, either by diffusion or atomic glide and climb, occurs within grains or along grain boundaries. With time, the rate of plastic creep deformation is initially rapid, then slows to a stable rate, and then finally speeds up again in what is called "tertiary creep." This last stage is when internal voids in the material, micro-cracks, and the separation of grain boundaries lead to final failure. Figure 1 is an example of a creep failure:

Typical creep failure patterns of clastic rock.

Image Credit: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Typical-creep-failure-patterns-of-clastic-rock_fig6_273791127

Creep deformation can begin at elevated temperatures, between 30 and 50% of a material’s melting point depending on the type of material, and is hastened as temperatures or stresses increase further. Creep failure can occur at stresses lower than yield stress, and thus creep tests cannot always accurately predict when creep failure will occur.

Is Creep Failure the Same as Creep Fatigue?

No, creep failure is not the same as creep fatigue although creep damage can be a component of creep fatigue. Creep failure is characterized by the permanent deformation of a material due to constantly applied stress at elevated temperatures. Whereas, creep fatigue is characterized by the permanent deformation of a material due to cyclically applied stresses at low or moderate temperatures. The indications of creep failure and creep-fatigue are different. In creep failure, materials will slowly deform over time and often occur without notice due to changes occurring in the material’s microstructure. Regardless of whether creep damage or fatigue damage conditions predominate, the combination of accumulating creep damage and fatigue crack propagation can eventually lead to material failure.

How Does the Creep Failure Process Work?

The creep failure process works by the gradual deformation of a material’s microstructure. The atoms within a material’s crystal lattice cause the material’s lattice structure to deform either by diffusion or dislocation. Different types of creep deformation, including Nabarro-Herring creep, dislocation creep, Coble creep, and Harper-Dorn creep, characterize different atomic movements. For instance, Nabrro-Herring creep and Coble creep are two types of creep that are characterized by the diffusion of atoms. When a material is at a high temperature and is subjected to constantly applied stress, atoms diffuse into vacancies within the crystal lattice. For dislocation creep and Harper-Dorn creep, atoms move due to the movement of dislocations within the crystal lattice either by glide or slip mechanisms.

As force is constantly applied at an elevated temperature, atoms continuously move and the material’s microstructure continuously deforms. Eventually, excessive deformation will lead to the formation of micro-cracks, voids, and grain boundary separation which inevitably leads to material failure. Methods to mitigate the effects of creep include selecting materials for parts to perform under the critical temperature at which creep starts or repairing and replacing creep-affected parts before the damage becomes too much.

How Does Creep (Deformation) Cause Creep Failure?

Creep deformation is time-dependent, occurs at heightened temperatures, and can eventually cause failure due to the accumulated creep damage. Creep deformation occurs in three stages which are listed and described below:

Primary Creep: Primary creep is the first stage of creep. It is characterized by the instantaneous or continuous application of a force, followed by elastic deformation, and eventually plastic deformation at temperatures that are at least 35 to 45% of the material’s melting point. Increased temperatures increase the internal energy of atoms in a material’s microstructure and make it easier for atoms to overcome barriers to their movement within the crystal lattice structure. Deformation in the primary creep stage occurs rapidly and then slows as time goes on due to the work hardening of the material as it deforms.
Secondary Creep: During secondary creep, the material’s strain rate stabilizes as strain increases nearly linearly with time. Deformation at this stage is much slower compared to deformation in the primary creep and tertiary creep stages. As plastic deformation occurs during this stage, damage to the microstructure accumulates as atoms and vacancies dislocate.
Tertiary Creep: Tertiary creep is the last stage of creep deformation and concludes with the material’s failure. During this stage, grain boundary separation, internal void form, and microcracks initiate and grow as a result of the constant movement of dislocations and diffusion of atoms occurring in the part. These three things result in an eventual reduction in the cross-sectional area of the part which consequently leads to the development of stress concentrations and acceleration of the strain rate in the material as it responds to the continuing application of a constant stress. Eventually, the material fails to satisfy its intended function and may even catastrophically rupture or fracture.

How Is Creep Life Determined?

The onset of creep failure can be determined by conducting a creep test. A creep test enables engineers to understand the relationship between stress, temperature, and strain rate and how these phenomena affect part behavior. A creep test entails applying a constant tensile stress to a test specimen held at a particular temperature. The accumulating strain in the material is graphed as a function of time until the material ruptures or until some other predetermined test-end criterion is met, such as a certain percent strain, or completion of a specified number of hours with total material strain less than a given value.

Creep tests provide valuable insight into materials since they characterize creep rates and the time to rupture. Data from a creep test can help engineers to successfully design parts and structures with the required durability for high-stress, high-temperature service environments.

How Important Is It to Predict Creep Life?

It is very important to try to predict creep life and to analyze any failures to determine what role creep may have played in them. Failure to use all available tools to predict creep life and to monitor in-service equipment for creep damage can lead to creep failures. These failures can be catastrophic and can lead to property damage, injury, and even death. For this reason, the design of parts and structures that operate under stress at high temperatures, such as steam turbine blades and boilers, must be based on rigorous materials testing under conditions similar to service conditions. They must also be inspected regularly for evidence of accumulating creep damage during their in-service lives.

Can Parts Which Fail Due to Creep Be Repaired?

No, parts that fail due to creep damage cannot be repaired. Once creep failure has occurred, the part has permanently deformed and cannot be restored to its original dimensions. While failures due to creep cannot be repaired, creep deformation can be slowed by selecting materials with higher melting temperatures or larger grains. Once a selected material is operating in its planned service environment, the creep rate can be slowed, if necessary, by lowering stresses (reducing pressure in a boiler, for example) or lowering operating temperatures. Mitigation strategies may or may not be possible for a given application. Therefore, proper design and careful material selection are the two biggest defenses against creep failure.

What Materials Are Prone to Creep Failure?

Some materials are more prone to creep failure than others. At a given service temperature, materials with lower melting temperatures will be more susceptible to the effects of creep than materials with higher melting temperatures. Three materials prone to creep failure are listed and described below:

Zinc has a melting temperature of 419.5 °C. Since creep can begin at temperatures that are approximately 35-45% of the material’s melting temperature, creep in zinc can begin at temperatures as low as 147 °C. Because of its low melting temperature and consequent susceptibility to creep, zinc is undesirable for use in load-bearing applications at operating temperatures higher than 35% or 146.8 °C of its melting temperature.

Lead has a relatively low melting temperature (327 °C). Therefore, lead is susceptible to creep at temperatures as low as 114.5 °C. This is much lower than steel, for which creep does not begin until temperatures in the range of 480 °C.

Tin has a melting temperature of 232 °C. Tin has an even lower melting temperature than zinc or lead. That being the case, the creep of tin can begin at temperatures as low as 81 °C — lower than the boiling point of water! This limits the use of tin for load-bearing applications at temperatures above 80 °C.

How Do Plastics Fail by Creep?

Creep failure in plastics occurs when polymer parts are subjected to continuing stress and elevated temperatures. The primary creep mechanism for plastics is the movement of atoms by either dislocation slide or glide. Creep is more likely in plastics with amorphous structures since their molecular chains slide past each other more easily than the molecules in plastics' crystalline structures.

How Does Concrete Fail by Creep?

Creep failure can occur in concrete at both ambient and elevated temperatures. Concrete creep failure can occur in concrete columns, beams, and large structures like dams. Excessive creep in concrete can lead to buckling columns, deformed beams, or cracks in the concrete structure. Higher aggregate percentages can reduce the creep strain rate while higher concentrations of water in the mix can lead to higher creep strain rates.

What Is an Example of Creep Failure?

Creep failure occurs in many different industries and applications. An example of creep failure in the aerospace industry is the slow deformation of jet turbine blades. Jet turbine blades are subjected to high temperatures — up to 600 °C — and heavy loads when in use. Over time, the constant application of a load at high temperatures causes the turbine blades to warp, necessitating replacement.

Another example of creep failure is the rupture of pipes that transport oil in the oil and gas industry. These pipes carry oil under pressure at elevated temperatures. The increased temperature and pressure gradually cause pipes to bulge and eventually rupture.

How Can Creep Failure Be Prevented?

The two main strategies for preventing creep failure are careful material selection and continuous monitoring of parts in service. Creep failure is inevitable if parts are continuously subjected to loads at increased temperatures, even if it may take a long time to occur. In any industry that operates safety-critical metal components at high temperatures and stress, scheduled maintenance for part inspection and replacement can avoid catastrophic creep failures. This allows manufacturers to have more control over their operations.

Alternatively, using parts with higher melting temperatures and larger grain boundaries can reduce the creep rate and help prevent creep failure. This is because parts are less prone to the effects of creep if the material’s melting temperature is higher. Additionally, larger grain sizes help prevent creep from deforming a material’s microstructure.

What Will Happen if Creep Failure Is Not Prevented?

If creep failure is not prevented, severe consequences may occur. From reduced load-bearing capacity and loss of functionality to deformation and distortion of parts, to catastrophic rupture, creep failure is something that should be avoided. Additionally, damage to property and life can result in enormous legal costs.

How Can 3D Printing Help Prevent Creep Failures?

3D printing with metals or plastics can benefit engineers in avoiding creep failures in several ways. For one, 3D printing enables manufacturers to design parts in such a way that the effects of creep are mitigated — either by manipulating part geometry or tailoring microstructures. Manipulating part geometries to mitigate the effects of creep can be achieved by designing parts capable of sustaining the stresses that will be experienced due to creep while tailoring microstructures can be achieved by printing amorphous plastics compared to crystalline and semi-crystalline plastics. Secondly, 3D printing can allow manufacturers to test and validate different part geometries and examine the effects of creep on them. 3D printing helps contribute to the scientific and engineering communities’ understanding of creep.

To learn more, see our guide on What Are 3D Printers Used For .

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The true meaning behind Radiohead's Creep, the song that made, and nearly broke, Thom Yorke's band

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood hated his band's debut single so much that he tried to sabotage and kill it: when Creep became Radiohead's biggest anthem, Thom Yorke often wished that the guitarist had succeeded

Artists having a fractious relationship with their most popular song is not an unusual phenomenon. Nirvana famously grew to loathe Smells Like Teen Spirit . Robert Plant once remarked that he’d “ break out in hives ” if he had to perform Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven every night. In the case of Radiohead and Creep , however, it almost ended the band entirely. “It was frustrating being judged on just that song when we felt we needed to move on,” singer Thom Yorke told The Denver Post in 1995. “We were forced on tour to support it, and it gagged us, really. We were on the verge of breaking up. It was a lesson.”

All because of a throwaway track written in a drunken haze in 1987, while the frontman was still at Exeter University. Supposedly, an unrequited crush on a woman he used to questionably follow around town inspired it. Insecure, socially inept, and powerless to do anything about his obsession, for Yorke feelings of frustration soon turned to shame and self-loathing, making for the song’s apt yet none-more-‘90s refrain, ‘ I’m a creep. I’m a weirdo. What the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here.’

In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times in 1993 , guitarist Jonny Greenwood told of how the band’s singer was “mortified” when the subject of that obsession later showed up at a gig, unaware of the ‘special ’ status that had been bestowed upon her. “He was very shaken up after,” Greenwood revealed. That, though, is just one of many wince-inducing memories associated with the band’s most popular song.

There were the awkward melodic similarities with The Hollies’ 1974 hit The Air That I Breathe , for starters. Songwriters Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood successfully sued and settled out of court, eventually being granted co-credits on subsequent reissues. Originally, some parts were quite different, though.

In the first verse, the lyrics used to be much more nursery rhyme-like, including the line ‘ shoulder of lamb, frying in a pan’ . That’s according to co-producer Paul Q. Kolderie in Marc Randall’s Exit Music: The Radiohead Story . “It was not good, lyrically; sort of stupid and funny,” he remembers. Luckily, the band’s blushes were saved from that version ever making it into the public domain.

Earmarking Creep as the standout song on their 1993 debut album, Pablo Honey , EMI requested a “clean” version of the recording to maximise commercial appeal, removing the offending ‘ fucking ’ from the second verse and replacing it with the much more radio-friendly ‘ very ’. Though concerns about selling out by bowing to such label pressures were rife, the unimpeachable Sonic Youth had done something similar recently, and so the Oxfordshire five-piece duly obliged. After some discussion, Yorke wisely used the opportunity to rewrite and rerecord those earlier lyrics, too.

Creep being recorded at all is somewhat of a fluke, however. At the time, Radiohead were concentrating on two other songs ( Inside My Head and Lurgee ) that they had much higher hopes for as their potential debut single, using it merely as a rehearsal to warm-up, unaware the tapes were even rolling.

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“The reason it sounds so powerful is because it’s completely unselfconscious,” drummer Phil Selway told the St. Louis Dispatch in 1993 .

This relaxed approach explains Johnny Greenwood’s attempts at sabotaging the recording.

“You have Jon’s ‘Ker-runch’ thing come in, and the song is like, slashing its wrists,” Yorke told Classic Rock 's long-time Review's Editor Ian Fortnam, describing the effect in The Scene fanzine in 1992. “Halfway through it suddenly starts killing itself off, which is the whole point of the song really. It’s a real self-destruct song.”

The reason? The guitarist wasn’t exactly a fan.

“That’s the sound of Jonny trying to fuck the song up,” recalled fellow guitarist Ed O’Brien. “He really didn’t like it the first time we played it, so he tried spoiling it. And it made the song.”

That was what won over the two toughest critics of the decade, too. In a 1994 episode of Beavis & Butthead , the animated duo watch the accompanying music video and despite some apprehension as the subdued opening bars unfold, they soon come around. “Don’t worry Butthead,” Beavis assures his pal, “it gets cool in a minute,” and right on cue those serendipitous dead notes send the pair into shrieking palpitations. “Beavis nearly comes, doesn’t he?” Greenwood quipped in a 1996 interview with Spin .

It was a significant endorsement, however, and not just because Yorke was a fan of the smash MTV show. Capitol Records, the band’s U.S. imprint, swiftly produced a reactive marketing campaign, creating “I’m A Creep” promo badges and placing ads that referenced the episode, proudly heralding Radiohead as, “ Huh, huh, huh, music that doesn’t suck ”.

This was a sudden yet belated turn of fortunes. Upon its initial 1992 release as a single, Creep was banned by the BBC for the apparent crime of being “too depressing”, reaching number 78 in the UK charts and shifting a meagre 6,000 copies. Similarly, the NME dismissed Radiohead as a “ pitiful, lily-livered excuse for a rock ‘n’ roll group ”, printed alongside images of Yorke ill-advisedly captioned, “UGLEE”.

It wasn’t until the song took off on independent radio (first gaining traction in Israel, New Zealand, Spain and Scandinavia) that Stateside interest led to high-profile TV appearances and a UK reissue charting in the Top 10. The intensity of touring that followed, coupled with the spectre of their potential one-hit wonder fate, hit the band hard.

“There was a point where we seemed to be living out the same four-and-a-half minutes of our lives over and over again,” O’Brien told The Times in 1995 . “It was incredibly stultifying.”

“We sucked Satan’s cock,” the frontman unceremoniously fumed . “It took a year-and-a-half to get back to the people we were… to cope with it emotionally.”

Over a billion streams on Spotify alone later, it’s fair to say that Creep has since taken on a life of its own, covered by artists as diverse as Moby , Macy Gray , Robbie Williams , Kelly Clarkson , Korn , and even Prince . Foo Fighters performed it with comedian Dave Chapelle . Jim Carrey has had a go. Kevin Bacon once sang it to his pet goats and put it on the internet . Weezer enlisted the help of 90 YouTube fans for their take. In 2021, Rolling Stone named it the 118th greatest song of all time.

Radiohead have always had much more complex feelings, of course. ‘ This is our new song, just like the last one, a total waste of time ,’ Yorke snarled on 1995’s My Iron Lung , the band’s self-confessed attempt to consign to the bin a song they’d since contemptuously renamed Crap .

Having successfully navigated their way through the hype to enjoy critical acclaim and further hits on subsequent releases, Creep gradually dropped off the band’s setlists. One night in Montreal during the OK Computer tour, weary of one heckler relentlessly harassing them, Yorke dismissed the requests with an abrupt, “fuck off, we’re tired of it” and later scolded fans of the song as “ anally retarded ”.

It came as a huge surprise, then, that Radiohead opened their 2009 Reading Festival headline performance with it, only to shelve the song once more until 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool tour and the encore of that same year’s Glastonbury set. Mid-lockdown, Yorke unexpectedly revisited Creep to soundtrack Japanese fashion designer Jun Takahashi’s Undercover collection, with a haunting, dirge-like Very 2021 Rmx . An attempt to reclaim ownership of something perceived to have been lost and sullied? Or did he just have extra time on his hands, like everyone else?

Despite all the controversy and complexities involved, Creep undoubtedly made and almost broke the band. Without it, Radiohead might not have propelled themselves further and further leftfield with each new release, in turn creating a far more fitting and fascinating legacy that’s lasted three decades and counting. Love it or loathe it, that’s a lot to be thankful for.

Formerly the Senior Editor of Rock Sound magazine and Senior Associate Editor at Kerrang!, Northern Ireland-born David McLaughlin is an award-winning writer and journalist with almost two decades of print and digital experience across regional and national media.

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Analyzing Creep Behavior of Storage Caverns in Weak Rocks

Original Paper
Published: 23 May 2024

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Poralla Venkata Satheesh 1 ,
Geetanjali K. Lohar 2 &
Ankesh Kumar ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6750-608X 3

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Understanding the time-dependent behavior of the rock mass is crucial to improve the reliability of underground structure design, particularly for projects with longer lifespans, such as nuclear waste repositories and hydrocarbon storage tanks. Creep is a time-dependent mechanism that plays a significant role in such designs but is often overlooked. Hence, a comprehensive study of the non-linear viscoelastic response of caverns over extended periods is needed to assess cavern closure under various scenarios. Therefore, this study investigates the time-dependent behavior of caverns constructed in rock-salt and shale rock using a finite element (FE) approach. The analysis was performed by the ABAQUS CAE tool, focusing on an axisymmetric approach. The time-dependent deformation behavior of the rocks was simulated using the Power-Law creep model. Furthermore, a parametric study was carried out to evaluate the influence of overburden depth, shape, volume, and time on the long-term behavior of caverns. The analysis revealed that the excavation of caverns in rock salt resulted in minimal displacements compared to that of shale rock. The results suggested inward displacement at the crown and wall of the cavern, with uplift found at the heel. Furthermore, the augmentation in the volume of the cavern and the depth of the overburden resulted in an enhanced displacement at the wall, crown, and heel of the cavern. Further, the examination of several cavern shapes revealed that spherical caverns show the least displacement compared to cylindrical and horseshoe-shaped caverns. Additionally, the normalized graphs were developed using normalized displacement, rock mass density, overburden depth, and Young's modulus as the basis. Engineers and designers can use these graphs as a useful tool to evaluate the long-term behavior of caverns and make well-informed judgments during the planning stage. Overall, this study contributes to safer and more reliable engineering practices in cavern construction and maintenance by offering insightful information about the time-dependent behavior of rock mass and useful suggestions for enhancing the stability and design of underground structures.

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Poralla Venkata Satheesh

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Satheesh, P.V., Lohar, G.K. & Kumar, A. Analyzing Creep Behavior of Storage Caverns in Weak Rocks. Geotech Geol Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-024-02801-9

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What is Creep – Material Creep – Definition

Creep , known also as cold flow , is the permanent deformation that increases with time under constant load or stress . It results due to long time exposure to large external mechanical stress with in limit of yielding and is more severe in material that are subjected to heat for long time. The rate of deformation is a function of the material’s properties, exposure time, exposure temperature and the applied structural load. Creep is a very important phenomenon if we are using materials at high temperature . Creep is very important in power industry and it is of the highest importance in designing of jet engines. For many relatively short-life creep situations (e.g. turbine blades in military aircraft), time to rupture is the dominant design consideration. Of course, for its determination, creep tests must be conducted to the point of failure; these are termed creep rupture tests .

Creep becomes a problem when the stress intensity is approaching the fracture failure strength . If the creep rate increases rapidly, the strain becomes so large that it could result in failure. The creep rate is controlled by minimizing the stress and temperature of a material. Creep is more severe in materials that are subjected to heat for long periods and generally increases as they near their melting point . It is observed in all materials types; for metals, it becomes important only for temperatures greater than about 0.4T m , where T m is the absolute melting temperature.

For example, creep caused failure is an important failure mode of turbine blades of an aircraft engine. In this case, a turbine blade will cause the blade to contact the casing, resulting in the failure of the blade and the engine.

Stages of Creep

As can be seen from the figure, creep is time dependent and it goes through several stages:

Primary Creep . In the initial stage, or primary creep, or transient creep, the strain rate is relatively high, but decreases with increasing time and strain due the fact that the material is experiencing an increase in creep resistance or strain hardening . This is followed by secondary (or steady-state) creep in Stage II, when the creep rate is small and the strain increases very slowly with time.
Secondary Creep . For secondary creep, sometimes termed steady-state creep, the rate is constant—that is, the plot becomes nearly linear. The strain rate diminishes to a minimum and becomes near constant as the secondary stage begins. This is due to the balance between work hardening and annealing (thermal softening). This stage of creep is the most understood. The steady-state creep is often the stage of creep that is of the longest duration. No material strength is lost during these first two stages of creep. In materials engineering, possibly the most important parameter from a creep test is the slope of the secondary portion of the creep curve ( ΔP/Δt ). It is the engineering design parameter that is considered for long-life applications. This parameter is often called the minimum or steady-state creep rate.
Tertiary Creep . In tertiary creep, there is an acceleration of the rate and possibly ultimate failure. The strain rate exponentially increases with stress because of necking phenomena or internal cracks, cavities or voids decrease the effective area of the specimen. These all lead to a decrease in the effective cross-sectional area and an increase in strain rate. Strength is quickly lost in this stage while the material’s shape is permanently changed. The acceleration of creep deformation in the tertiary stage eventually leads to failure, which is frequently termed rupture and results from microstructural and/or metallurgical changes.

Creep Prevention

Creep prevention is based on the proper choice of material is also crucial. Creep resistance of materials can be influenced by many factors such as diffusivity, precipitate and grain size. In general, there are three general ways to prevent creep in metal. One way is to use higher melting point metals, the second way is to use materials with greater grain size and the third way is to use alloying. Body-centered cubic (BCC) metals are less creep resistant in high temperatures. Therefore, superalloys (typically face-centered cubic austenitic alloys) based on Co, Ni, and Fe are capable of being engineered to be highly resistant to creep, and have thus arisen as an ideal material in high-temperature environments.

For device of selected material, it is of the highest importance to operate the device within limits, which are especially maximum service temperature and stress. The rate of creep is highly dependent on both stress and temperature. With most of the engineering alloys used in construction at room temperature or lower, creep strain is so small at working loads that it can safely be ignored. However, as temperature rises creep becomes progressively more important and eventually supersedes fatigue as the likely criterion for failure. The temperature at which creep becomes important will vary with the material. For safe operation, the total deformation due to creep must be well below the strain at which failure occurs.

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Material Properties

We hope, this article, Creep – Material Creep , helps you. If so, give us a like in the sidebar. Main purpose of this website is to help the public to learn some interesting and important information about materials and their properties.

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bonded by structural adhesives. This thesis specifically focuses on the analysis of the creep behaviour of structural adhesives and also the possibility to reinforce them with carbon fibres. The present study includes uniaxial tensile creep tests, where two epoxy adhesives were tested at different stress levels.
Radiohead
The true meaning behind Radiohead's Creep, the song that made, and nearly broke, Thom Yorke's band. Artists having a fractious relationship with their most popular song is not an unusual phenomenon. Nirvana famously grew to loathe Smells Like Teen Spirit. Robert Plant once remarked that he'd " break out in hives " if he had to perform Led ...
Analyzing Creep Behavior of Storage Caverns in Weak Rocks
Creep is a time-dependent mechanism that plays a significant role in such designs but is often overlooked. Hence, a comprehensive study of the non-linear viscoelastic response of caverns over extended periods is needed to assess cavern closure under various scenarios. Therefore, this study investigates the time-dependent behavior of caverns ...
What is Creep
Creep, known also as cold flow, is the permanent deformation that increases with time under constant load or stress. It results due to long time exposure to large external mechanical stress with in limit of yielding and is more severe in material that are subjected to heat for long time. The rate of deformation is a function of the material's ...

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What Is Scope Creep in Project Management?

What is scope creep?

Two types of scope creep

Business creep

Technology creep

Scope creep vs gold plating

Why is scope creep bad?

Scope creep results in overtime and missed deadlines

Scope creep leads to a drop in quality and a drained budget

Scope creep harms the reputation

Primary causes of scope creep

Poor communication

Poor management skills

Excessive stakeholder involvement

Late user feedback

Poor preparation

How to avoid scope creep

Clearly define scope

Create a clear change control protocol

Communicate with key stakeholders

Charge for changes

Make use of project management tools

Are all changes in project management bad?

Can even scope creep be good?

Project success depends on how you handle scope creep

FREE project management app

What Is Privilege Creep and How to Prevent It?

What Is a Privilege?

Why Does Privilege Creep Occur?

How Does Privilege Creep Happen?

Why Is Privilege Creep a Security Risk?

How to Prevent Privilege Creep?

Allow access based on roles

Implement Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)