Move fast and break things
Meaning
This phrase advocates for prioritizing rapid development and constant innovation, even if it results in errors or unforeseen consequences, as a strategy for swift progress.
Origin
The year was 2009, and Facebook was a rapidly expanding digital giant. Its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, needed a rallying cry to encapsulate the company's aggressive, innovative spirit. He coined 'Move fast and break things,' a mantra that urged his engineers to prioritize speed and relentless iteration over cautious perfection. The philosophy was simple: if you're not breaking things, you're not moving fast enough, and in the digital world, speed is paramount. This audacious mindset quickly permeated Silicon Valley, becoming an unofficial slogan for countless tech startups eager to disrupt industries and dominate new markets, forever linking the phrase with bold, rapid-fire innovation.
Examples
- The startup’s CEO always pushed his team to move fast and break things, believing that agility was more important than initial perfection.
- In the competitive tech industry, sometimes you have to move fast and break things to stay ahead of the curve, rather than getting bogged down in endless planning.