Adam Smith

The uniform, constant and uninterrupted effort of every man to better his condition … is frequently powerful enough to maintain the natural progress of things toward improvement, in spite both of the extravagance of government, and of the greatest errors of administration … surmounting a hundred impertinent obstructions with which the folly of human laws too often encumbers its operations.

Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.

The profusion of government … [has] retarded the natural progress.

What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience?

Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things.

The agents of [government] regard the wealth of their master as inexhaustible; are careless at what price they buy … at what price they sell.

As a rule, we find what we look for; we achieve what we get ready for.

I believe in benevolent dictatorship provided I am the dictator.

Without hustle, talent will only carry you so far.

I do not believe in excuses. I believe in hard work as the prime solvent of life’s problems.

No one should buy on reputation alone. They should come and see it and inspect it, feel it and touch it.

It is always the start that requires the greatest effort.

A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.

It’s all too easy to miss out on the important moments in life because you’re too busy staring at your phone.

Employers only handle the money – it is the customer who pays the wages.

When most people ask about a business growing, what they really mean is growing revenue, not just growing the number of people using a service. Traditional businesses would view people using your service that you don’t make money from as a cost.

A store’s best advertisement is the service its goods render, for upon such service rest the future, the good-will, of an organization.

After the situation with Kursk submarine, I started looking at Mr. Berezovsky in a completely different way. For me, it was a turning point in our relationship. I think that he took a completely dishonorable position.

I wanted to be an editor or a journalist, I wasn’t really interested in being an entrepreneur, but I soon found I had to become an entrepreneur in order to keep my magazine going.

Building a brand may be more important than building a business.

We decided not to show One Hyde Park til we were 100% ready. A lot of people open the doors too early.