WIST Quotations

Gates, Bill -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 06 Jul 2004 16:00:26 +0000

Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight.

Bill Gates (b. 1955) American software magnate [William Henry Gates III]
(Attributed)

Gates, Bill -- The Road Ahead (1995)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

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

Bill Gates (b. 1955) American software magnate [William Henry Gates III]
The Road Ahead (1995)

Gates, Bill -- The Road Ahead, “Afterword” (1996 ed.)

Dave — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:16:15 +0000

People often overestimate what will happen in the next two years and underestimate what will happen in ten.

Bill Gates (b. 1955) American software magnate [William Henry Gates III]
The Road Ahead, “Afterword” (1996 ed.)
(Source)

First use of this specific formulation, but similar phrases can be traced back to the 1960s. More discussion of variations on this theme: People Tend To Overestimate What Can Be Done In One Year And To Underestimate What Can Be Done In Five Or Ten Years – Quote Investigator®.

Gates, Bill -- Wall Street Journal, “Why I Hate Spam” (2003)

Dave — Tue, 06 Jul 2004 15:59:38 +0000

Like almost everyone who uses e-mail, I receive a ton of spam every day. Much of it offers to help me get out of debt or get rich quick. It would be funny if it weren’t so irritating.

Bill Gates (b. 1955) American software magnate [William Henry Gates III]
Wall Street Journal, “Why I Hate Spam” (2003)

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ofnote/06-23wsjspam.asp