John Sculley Quotes

I'm as proud of many of the things we haven't done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.

To know what to leave out and what to put in; just where and just how, ah, that is to have been educated in knowledge of simplicity.

You can only do so many things great, and you should cast aside everything else.

Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things.

We are the most focused company that I know of or have read of or have any knowledge of. We say no to good ideas every day. We say no to great ideas in order to keep the amount of things we focus on very small in number so that we can put enormous energy behind the ones we do choose.....It's not just saying yes to the right products, it's saying no to many products that are good ideas, but just not nearly as good as the other ones.

Unfortunately the trick to great execution is to say no a lot.

Innovation means saying 'no' to a thousand things.

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.

I don't put the focus on things that don't matter.

We cannot master everything, taste everything, understand everything, drain every experience to its last dregs. But if we have the courage to let almost everything else go, we will probably be able to retain the thing necessary for us-whatever it may be. If we are too eager to have everything, we will almost certainly miss even the one thing we need

Knowing what to take out and what to leave in is what separates the men from the boys.

I believe that all wisdom consists in caring immensely for a few right things, and not caring a straw about the rest.

Our job is to find a few intelligent things to do, not to keep up with every damn thing in the world.

We say no to a lot of things so we can invest an incredible amount of care on what we do.

Live uncluttered lives so you could have time for what is most important.

There is but one art, to omit! Oh, if I knew how to omit I would ask no other knowledge. A man who knows how to omit would make an Iliad of a daily paper.

What you decide not to do is probably more important that what you decide to do.

Keep the best, forget the rest.

Steve Jobs gave a small private presentation about the iTunes Music Store to some independent record label people. My favorite line of the day was when people kept raising their hand saying, "Does it do [x]?", "Do you plan to add [y]?". Finally Jobs said, "Wait wait - put your hands down. Listen: I know you have a thousand ideas for all the cool features iTunes could have. So do we. But we don't want a thousand features. That would be ugly. Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.

The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.

Simplicity requires ruthlessness.

There is but one art, to omit.

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.

Strategy is choice. Strategy means saying no to certain kinds of things.

Simplifying our lives does not mean sinking into idleness, but on the contrary, getting rid of the most subtle aspect of laziness: the one which makes us take on thousands of less important activities.