It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
The most damaging phrase in the language is: ‘It’s always been done that way.’
To me programming is more than an important practical art. It is also a gigantic undertaking in the foundations of knowledge.
The only phrase I’ve ever disliked is, ‘Why, we’ve always done it that way.’ I always tell young people, ‘Go ahead and do it. You can always apologize later.’
You manage things; you lead people.
Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ I try to fight that. That’s why I have a clock on my wall that runs counter-clockwise.
No computer is ever going to ask a new, reasonable question. It takes trained people to do that.
At any given moment, there is always a line representing what your boss will believe. If you step over it, you will not get your budget. Go as close to that line as you can.
If you do something once, people will call it an accident. If you do it twice, they call it a coincidence. But do it a third time and you’ve just proven a natural law!