“One of our anxieties is de-focusing the relatively small number of engineers we have. Within our own core development, I am reluctant to fund projects that are way afield of where we are.” WayNumbersDevelopmentAnxietyProjectsCoreFundEngineersReluctantSmall Numbers Author:Howard Hughes
“We normally learn at least as much from our mistakes as we do from our successes. The best development driver/engineer I ever knew once told me that he reckoned that about 20% of his bright ideas worked.” IdeasMistakeDevelopmentDriversEngineersBright Ideas Author:Carroll Smith
“All the businesses from the beginning of history have struggled with product development (assuming there is a market, doing the market testing and so on). But now they start with customer development. Get the customer who says, "Yes. I want that. I need it. I wanna use it. I'll pay for it." And then you go back and work with your engineers. It is changing the world!” WorldWantNeedsUsePayProductsDevelopmentAssumingCustomersChanging The WorldEngineersTestingProduct Development Author:Brian Tracy
“One effect of benefit-cost analysis is to give any respectable engineer or economist a means for justifying almost any kind of project the national government wants to justify... Exclusive reliance on benefit-cost analysis has been one of the greatest threats to wise decisions in water development.” WantGivingKindMeanHas BeensGovernmentWaterDecisionWiseEffectsDevelopmentCostBenefitsProjectsThreatEnvironmentalAnalysisJustifyEngineersEconomistRelianceExclusiveRespectableWise Decision Author:Gilbert F. White
“An engineer can look at the data, but he needs a translator from the cockpit - the driver - to understand it completely. For example, only the driver can tell you why he abruptly takes his foot off the gas pedal at a certain point. The data doesn't necessarily tell the engineer whether the driver made a mistake at that point or the car was acting up. The information the driver provides often helps determine the direction of development.” NeedsLooksMadeHelpingCertainActingMistakeFeetCarInformationExampleDevelopmentDetermineDataGasDriversEngineersMade A MistakeTranslatorsPedalsCockpit Author:Michael Schumacher
“The US is often the first to call for transparency and integrity in the reporting of other governments. It has never provided transparency or integrity in its reporting on the war in Iraq. It has downplayed the growth of the insurgency and other civil conflicts. It exaggerated progress in the development of Iraqi forces, and has reported meaningless macroecomic figures claiming 'progress' in the face of steadily deteriorating economic conditions for most Iraqis outside the Kurdish security zone, and does so in the face of almost incredible incompetence by USAID and the Corps of Engineers.” FirstsDoeWarGovernmentFacesForceGrowthProgressEconomicConditionsSecurityFiguresDevelopmentIntegrityConflictIncrediblesIraqZoneMeaninglessEngineersTransparencyIncompetenceExaggeratedInsurgencyDeterioratingKurdishUsaid Author:Anthony H. Cordesman