The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms – greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge – has marked the upward surge of mankind, and greed – you mark my words – will not only save Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you.

For a set of 42 such delightful quotes spoken by Michael Douglas’ character, Gordon Gekko, in the movie ‘Wall Street’, head over here.

We’ve put together the fifth edition of 42.0 – Ted Turner 42.0. This is a set of 42 quotes by Turner selected by us after going through all the articles where he’s been quoted. This compilation was put together by my friend, Adwaita, and it’s a must-read. My favourite is Quote #41:

I know what I’m having ‘em put on my tombstone: ‘I have nothing more to say.’

We’ve put together the fourth edition of 42.0 – Warren Buffett 42.0. This is a set of 42 quotes by Buffett selected by us after going through a set of books and all the articles where he’s been quoted. This compilation was put together a couple of weeks ago and there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t revisited the quotes.

I believe in bumbling around long enough to not give up at things. And eventually success comes your way, because you tried to fail in every possible way, the only way that’s left is the one successful way, and always, for entrepreneurs, seems to come last. It’s so obvious when it comes.

After Steve Jobs 42.0 and Biking 42.0, we’ve put together Richard Branson 42.0. Credit for this compilation goes to a dear friend Amita who has actively contributed to different sections of the site.

Enjoy the gyaan. Also, if you’d like to compile a 42.0 of any kind, I’d be glad to put it up. You can mail it across to nimish [at] workosaur [dot] com.

The master has known, and imparts what he has known. The teacher has received from one who has known, and delivers it intact to the world, but he himself has not known.
- Osho

While reading the ‘Dictionary of Proverbs and Their Origins,’ I came across an essay titled ‘Business matters.’ The essay credits the growth in business studies in the twentieth century for re-invigorating older sayings. What was interesting to know is that the saying Time is money was first used by Benjamin Franklin in a letter titled Advice to a Young Tradesman (1748). The letter’s a masterpiece and I’ve reproduced it below:

TO MY FRIEND, A.B.:

As you have desired it of me, I write the following hints, which have been of service to me, and may, if observed, be so to you.

Remember, that time is money. He that can earn ten shillings a day by his labor, and goes abroad, or sits idle, one half of that day, though he spends but six pence during his diversion or idleness, ought not to reckon that the only expense; he has really spent, or rather thrown away, five shillings besides.

Remember, that credit is money. If a man lets his money lie in my hands after it is due, he gives me the interest, or as much I can make of it during that time. This amounts to a considerable sum where a man has good and large credit, and makes good use of it.

Remember, that money is of the prolific, generating nature. Money can beget money, and its offspring can beget more, and so on. Five shillings turned is six, turned again it is seven and three-pence, and so on till it become an hundred pounds. The more there is of it, the more it produces every turning, so that the profits rise quicker and quicker, he that kills a breeding sow, destroy all her offspring to the thousandth generation. He that murders a crown, destroys all that it might have produced, even scores of pounds.

Remember, that six pounds a year is but a groat a day. For this little sum (which may be daily wasted either in time or expense unperceived) a man of credit may, on his own security, have the constant possession and use of an hundred pounds. So much in stock, briskly turned by an industrious man, produces great advantage.

Remember this saying, The good paymaster is lord of another man’s purse. He that is known to pay punctually and exactly to the time he promises, may at any time, and on any occasion, raise all the money his friends can spare. This is sometimes of great use. After industry and frugality, nothing contributes more to the raising of a young man in the world than punctuality and justice in all his dealings; therefore, never keep borrowed money an hour beyond the time you promised, lest a disappointment shut up your friends purse forever.

The most trifling actions that affect a man’s credit are to be regarded. The sound of your hammer at five in the morning, or nine at night, heard by a creditor, makes him easy six months longer; but, if he sees you at a billiard table, or hears your voice at at tavern, when you should be at work, he sends for his money the next day, demands it, before he can receive it, in a lump.

It shows, besides, that you are mindful of what you owe; it makes you appear a careful as well as an honest man, and that still increases your credit.

Beware of thinking all your own that you possess, and of living accordingly. It is a mistake that many people who have credit fall into. To prevent this, keep an exact account for some time, both of your expenses and your income. If you take the pains at first to mention particulars, it will have this good effect: you will discover how wonderfully small, trifling expenses mount up to large sums, and will discern what might have been, and may for the future be saved, without occasioning any great convenience.

In short, the way to wealth, if you desire it, is plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality; that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do, and with them everything. He that gets all he can honestly, and saves all the gets (necessary expense expected), will certainly become rich, if that Being who governs the world, to whom all should look for a blessing on their honest endeavors, doth not, in His wise providence, otherwise determine.

An Old Tradesman.

A couple of weeks back, Adwaita helped me kickstart a new section on Workosaur called 42.0. The section will carry articles that enlighten – each article being a collection of 42 pieces. For example, the first article under this section is a collection of 42 quotes by Steve Jobs. Read these quotes and you’d agree there couldn’t have been a better way to start to this section.

(The name is inspired by Douglas Adams’ book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, in which the number 42 is The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, as calculated by an enormous supercomputer over a period of 7.5 million years.)

Update (April 30, 2009): Wow! Within a few hours of making this post, Kaustubh Mishra (CEO of The White Collar Company) has sent in a compilation of 42 management quotes from bikers. We’ve put it up on the site and you can see it here.

Spawned by the military, developed by academic research, driven by pornography, and used by shoppers – what can one say about the ubiquitous net that has not already been said? Its fantastic, its the future, it’s the way to go; its better than the telephone, a magazine a directory, all rolled into one; its great for shy people, for old folks, the housebound, the disabled, teenagers, business sharks, voyeurs, pornographers, pedophiles and web builders. From a designer’s view it’s a challenging mixture of disciplines – graphics, typography, images, illustrations, animation, titling, photography, computing, video – working in various combinations, spread over duration, and limited by an ever changing technology and user capability. So challenging that we haven’t really got a clue. But we are men not mice, and we reckon that for starters most websites are too busy – information overload – hard to read, or assess order, hence make selections, or too design conscious, too pretty for their own good, and do not use clicks and space (separate pages) enough, and are not planned elegantly nor efficiently. That’s what we think. Not that we know shit, as you can tell from our meagre web output. But hold on, from little cyberacorns grow big cyberoaks, then grow cyberwoods from which we can make cyber fibre heh!

(via StormThorgerson.com)

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