Quotes from the books I read

Most of the quotes are from the books "Elon Musk" and "Start with Why".

I think there are too many smart people pursuing internet stuff, finance and Law. That is part of the reason why we haven't seen as much innovation.

The best minds of our generation are thinking about how to make people click ads, that sucks.

Innovation is a finite resource,  the probability of finding another top 100 type Innovation is getting thinner.

The proven way to handle crime in NY subways was, control graffiti and fare beating. Think simple.

Convictions of your heart, content of your thought are less important in guiding your action, than the immediate context.

Peer influence and community influence more important than genes.

The longer you wait to fire someone, the longer it has been since you should have fired them - Elon Musk

Elon's biggest enemy is himself and the way he treats people.

One good engineer is better than 3 above average one's.

MLK gave  I have a dream speech, not I have a plan speech. Leaders supposed to spark vision. 

A business that makes nothing but money is poor kind of business.

As king Louis xv said, after me comes the flood. In other words, the disaster that will follow after me is your problem.

Your strategy for getting more cherries can not be chopping down cherry tree.

Money is a result, it can not be purpose. 

In any game two important currencies are will and resources. Will encompasses morale, motivation, inspiration, commitment, desire to engage,  desire to offer discretionary effort.

When a group shares a suffering,  it brings them together,  thats why natural disaster brings people together. 

Truth shouldn't hurt, you have a problem,  you are not the problem.

Leaders are not responsible for results, leaders are responsible for people,  who are responsible for results.

Self deception: using different words to justify your actions, using enhanced interrogation techniques instead of torture.

People don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.

I can take a decision with 30% information, anything above 80% is too much - Collin Powell

For defining Values or guiding principles they have to be verbs. It's not "integrity", it's "always do the right thing". It's NOT "Innovation", it's "Look at the problem from a different angle".

When believe enters the equation, passion exudes from the person. 

Leading is NOT the same as leader. Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, having good fortune or navigating internal politics. Leading however, means that others willingly follow you - not because they have to , not because they are paid to but because they want to.

Two ads for south pole expedition are as below:

"Men needed for expedition, minimum five years of experience. Must know how to Hoist mainsail. Come work for a fantastic captain"

VS

"Men wanted for Hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, Long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safer return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success."

our population is broken into five segments(as per Law of Diffusion) that fall across bell curve: Innovators(2.5%), early adopters (13.5%), Early majority (34%), Late majority (34%), laggards (16%).

Energy Excites, Charisma inspires. The vision and charisma of the leader are enough to attract the innovators and the early adopters.

We don't want to come to work to build a wall, we want to come to work to build a cathedral.

It takes more than inspiration to become great. Inspiration only starts the process; you need something more to drive a movement.

The pessimists are usually right, to paraphrase Thomas Friedman, author of the "world is flat" , but it's the optimists who change the world.

There is s special partnership between WHY people and HOW people. Bill gates is WHY and Paul Allen is HOW. Steve Jobs is WHY and Steve Wozniak is HOW. 

Remember the biology of The Golden Circle. The WHY exists in the part of the brain that controls feelings and decision-making but NOT language. WHAT exist in the part of the brain that controls rational thought and language.

Over 90% of all new businesses fail in the first three years.

When you compete against everyone else , no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.

All leaders must have two things: They must have a vision of the world that does not exist and they must have the ability to communicate it.