The hardest single part of building a software system is deciding precisely what to build. No other part of the conceptual work is so difficult as establishing the detailed technical requirements, including all the interfaces to people, to machines, and to other software systems. No other part of the work so cripples the resulting system if done wrong. No other part is more difficult to rectify later.

— Frederick P. Brooks Jr., The Mythical Man-Month

We know today that political partisanship is like sports fandom: testosterone levels rise or fall on election night just as they do on Super Bowl Sunday.

— Steven Pinker, Enlightenment Now

Enforcing a dress code suggests that the work itself, while important, is not of utmost importance. Enforcing strict work hours suggests the same thing.

— Steve McConnell, Rapid Development

A man of genius makes no mistakes, His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery

— James Joyce, Ulysses

Learning is limited by an organization’s ability to keep its people.

— Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister, Peopleware