Bill Gates not only revolutionized modern technology, but along the way he passed on real wisdom. On Success— “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of the future.” “To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.” “Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning.”
And failure— “Reward worthy failure—experimentation.” On business— “This is a fantastic time to be entering the business world because business is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in the last 50.” “The first rule of technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the efficiency.
“In business, the idea of measuring what you are doing, picking the measurements that count, like customer satisfaction and performance…you thrive on that.” “Information technology and business are becoming inextricably woven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without talking about the other.” On mentors— “Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast, or a bridge player.”