The most dangerous thing in a company is when people start managing up instead of managing the truth. Once that happens, you lose your ability to course correct, because the information flowing to the people who need to make decisions is filtered through what people think those decision-makers want to hear.
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The idea that a bell rings to signal when investors should get into or out of the market is simply not credible. After nearly fifty years in this business, I don't know anybody who has done it successfully and consistently. I don't even know anybody who knows anybody who has done it successfully and consistently.
John Bogle — Common Sense on Mutual Funds
I asked him how he's able to do that in front of everyone last night. He said really such an enchanting thing. Instead of sitting there and trying to tell someone else, 'No, no, it goes like this. No, no, do it like this,' you just do it yourself and then you know the way the song goes. You know what the drum part's supposed to be, what kind of groove you want. You're just beating yourself up to get it right.
Paul McCartney
Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough. The key is to make your mistakes quickly and cheaply, not slowly and expensively.
Jeff Bezos — Amazon All-Hands Meeting remarks, widely attributed