Don’t Let The Bozos Grind You Down

This is the original title of one of the chapters from Guy Kawasaki‘s book Rules For Revolutionaries: The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services. He notes that it is not politically correct to call somebody “bozo” for being stupid one or more times and thus he changed the word “bozos” to “bozosity” but i think the original title sounds better (and reminds me line from a U2’s song – “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”), so I kept the original title.

Having in mind that the book is mostly technologically oriented some may say that it is too old (issued in 1999) and not relevant to the current situation of the market. I wouldn’t agree with that. I think that the examples and the advices he gives us are still valid today and the book is a great source of food for thought not only for the people who are starting up new businesses but also for those who manage existing ones.

I am a great fan of Guy’s and I don’t intend to write a review of the book – I am just a young apprentice of his and I would like to give you some nice quotes from the mentioned chapter. These are great examples of bozosity, which could teach us not to listen to such “big authorities” when we have our great idea and we are strongly committed to it. The book is just great and I highly recommend it. You can buy it from Amazon.com or from Aliblis.com.

So, here they are, the bozosity quotes:

Well-informed people know it is impossible to transmit voice over wires and were it possible to do so, the thing would be of no practical value.

Editorial in the Boston post, 1865

This “telephone” has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.

Western Union internal memo, 1876

Everything that can be invented has been invented.

Charles H Duell, Commissioner,
U.S. Office of Patents, 1899

I think there is a world market for about five computer.

Remark attributed to Thomas Watson,
chairman of the board of IBM, 1943

There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.

Ken Olsen, President of
Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977

Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.

Lord Kelvin, British mathematician, physicist,
and president of the British Royal Society, circa 1895

[Airplanes] are interesting toys but of no military value.

Maréchal Ferdinand Foch, professor of strategy at
and commandant of Supérieure de Guerre, 1911