Henry Ford

The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.

Depressions aren’t acts of God; like wars, they are the work of a small group of men who profit by them.

Man minus the Machine is a slave; Man plus the Machine is a freeman.

Every business is a monarchy with, not a man, but an idea as king.

The basically simple things are best, whether it’s automobiles or diets or philosophy.

A nation that knows how to work will never suffer.

What America needs most is aviation.

There should be rivalry between men and between business.

Many manufacturers secretly question whether advertising really sells their product, but are vaguely afraid that their competitors might steal a march on them if they stopped.

Any business arrangement that is not profitable to the other person will in the end prove unprofitable for you. The bargain that yields mutual satisfaction is the only one that is apt to be repeated.

I avoid clients for whom advertising is only a marginal factor in their marketing mix. They have an awkward tendency to raid their advertising appropriations whenever they need cash for other purposes.

Never write an advertisement which you wouldn’t want your own family to read. You wouldn’t tell lies to your own wife. Don’t tell them to mine. Do as you would be done by. If you tell lies about a product, you will be found out — either by the Government, which will prosecute you, or by the consumer, who will punish you by not buying your product a second time. Good products can be sold by honest advertising. If you don’t think the product is good, you have no business to be advertising it.

I feel that the best companies are started not because the founder wanted a company but because the founder wanted to change the world… If you decide you want to found a company, you maybe start to develop your first idea. And hire lots of workers.

Only one thing makes prosperity, and that is work.

Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine.

A nation that knows how to work will never suffer.

A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.

You have an idea of the way you think it is, and it’s not that way at all, it’s something else.

Every man must decide for himself whether he shall master his world or be mastered by it.

Entrepreneurs are always taking feedback, especially from their customers, bankers, workers, and sales force. Without straightforward feedback, entrepreneurs cannot make sound decisions.

Without hustle, talent will only carry you so far.