“Watching nonprogrammers trying to run software companies is like watching someone who doesn’t know how to surf trying to surf. Even if he has great advisers standing on the shore telling him what to do, he still falls off the board again and again.” IfsKnowsTryingStillsRunningFallCompanyKnow HowStandingBoardsShoreSoftwareAgain And AgainSurfAdviserSoftware Company Author:Joel Spolsky
“In the long run, though, the greatest IT risk facing most companies is more prosaic than a catastrophe. It is, simply, overspending. IT may be a commodity, and its costs may fall rapidly enough to ensure that any new capabilities are quickly shared, but the very fact that it is entwined with so many business functions means that it will continue to consume a large portion of corporate spending.” MayMeanLongEnoughFactsRunningFallCompanyRiskCostFunctionSpendingCorporateCapabilityPortionsLong RunsCommodityCatastropheEntwinedOverspending Author:Nicholas G. Carr
“A discursive student is almost certain to fall into bad company. Ten minutes with a French novel or a German rationalist have sent a reader away with a fever for life.” CertainFallReadingCompanyNovelMinutesStudentsReaderTenFeverBad Company Book:Pleasures of Literature Source: Pleasures of Literature
“America is an unsolvable problem: a nation divided and deeply in hate with itself. If it was a startup, wed understand how unfixable the situation is; most of us would leave for a fresh start, and the company would fall apart. America is MySpace.” IfsProblemAmericaHateFallNationsCompanySituationDividedFalling ApartFresh Start Author:Michael Arrington
“The world is moving, and a company that contents itself with present accomplishments soon falls behind.” WorldMovingFallBehindsCompanyAccomplishment Author:George Eastman
“If we [Microsoft Corporation] weren't still hiring great people and pushing ahead at full speed, it would be easy to fall behind and become a mediocre company. Fear should guide you, but it should be latent. I have some latent fear. I consider failure on a regular basis.” PeopleIfsShouldStillsWould BeFallEasyBehindsCompanyBasesSpeedGuidesCorporationsPushingMediocreMicrosoftGreat PeopleHiringLatent Author:Bill Gates
“When you go to make a purchase, take a look at the product and ask yourself: 'am I being cheated?' If a product from a 'fast fashion' chain is falling apart before you've even bought it, it's not a deal. It's the fast-fashion company trying to get you to buy something that is quick on trend but slow on quality.” IfsTryingLooksFallAsksDealsQualityCompanyFashionProductsChainsTrendsFalling ApartCheated Author:Maxine
“Gaming is a kind of tacit confession that the company engaged therein do in general exceed the bounds of their respective fortunes, and therefore they cast lots to determine upon whom the ruin shall at present fall, that the rest may be saved a little longer.” KindMayLittlesFallCompanyFortuneBoundsCastsDetermineSavedRuinsEngagedGamblingConfessionExceedGamingTacit Book:Commentaries on the laws of England: in four books ; with an analysis of the work Source: Commentaries on the laws of England: in four books ; with an analysis of the work
“Japanese tend to put sales and market share first. They make many products with the aim of raising sales. But then profits decline, and companies find themselves falling into debt... I changed the mindset at Canon by getting people to realize that profits come first.” PeopleFirstsFallRealizingCompanyShareChangedProductsAimProfitDebtMindsetDeclineCanon Author:Fujio Mitarai