Bill Gates on Execution Quotes

"Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana."

"The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don't really even notice it, so it's part of everyday life."

"We've got to put a lot of money into this if we want to get the results."

"I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other."

"Patience is a key element of success."

"If your business isn't on the internet, then your business will be out of business."

"A breakthrough in machine learning would be worth ten Microsofts."

"Drones overall will be more positive than negative in terms of their ability to deliver services to remote areas."

"Software is a great combination between artistry and engineering."

"I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act."

"Capitalism is this geographic thing, and it's also a time-based thing."

"Execution is the key to everything. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you don't execute, it doesn't matter."

"Treatment without prevention is simply unsustainable."

"Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important."

"The most important work I’ve done is the software that we’ve built and the foundation that we’ve created."

"The second rule is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."

"Business is a money game with few rules and a lot of risk."

"Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don't think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without the other."

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."

"The way you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose."

"It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."

"We are always saying that we are going to do something and then we don't do it. We have to be more disciplined."

"By 2035, there will be almost no poor countries left in the world."

"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction."

"I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it."

"If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?"

"The vision is really about empowering workers, giving them all the information about what's going on so they can do a lot more than they've done in the past."

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."

"Capitalism is a remarkable system, but it doesn't always address the needs of the poorest."

"I am an optimist, but I am an optimist who takes a lot of data."

"Measuring progress is crucial. You need to know what’s working and what isn’t so you can adjust your strategy."

"The barrier to change is not too little caring; it is too much complexity."

"If you can't make it good, at least make it look good."