Niklaus Wirth Quotes

There is no single right answer or path forward, but there is one right way to frame the problem.

I'm a great believer in our ability to come up with the ideas necessary to solve the big questions. I have less confidence that we'll be able to find a consensus about which ones are right without experiment.

It must be able to assist in devising the method of solution of problems and not merely solve them.

To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?

We only think when we are confronted with problems.

How you define a problem shapes how you address it.

The easiest way to solve a problem is to pick an easy one.

You've outlined the problem very well. Solutions are much more difficult to come by.

I always like to think on a problem before reading about it.

I give people ideas on how to solve intractable problems.

Observing is really the fuel to innovating, ultimately.

Good and solid analysis and a formal way of looking at a problem [are the core ingredients of good decisions].

I believe that the ability to innovate and to be creative are teachable processes. There are ways by which people can systematically innovate or systematically become creative.

Ironically, when a bunch of very smart people are sitting around a table for hours trying to figure out whether they should do something, that tends to not necessarily lead to the best results.

Some people are great at the pure mathematical things - like Bill Gates, he's great at math things. He loves to do puzzles. Me, I like to look at an overall landscape and try to figure out, how do you solve a problem?

I know it is crazy, but I want to create a place where people can come in an organised way to think differently, to think their own thoughts.

What I'm looking for in my interaction is critical thinking on the part of the person pitching to me.

I don't have to come up with the best idea. It is my job to make sure that it is always the best idea that wins.

I try to look at problems very clearly and think, 'How do we get out of this? What will work? What will be the consequences for the people involved?'

One of the fastest ways to find the solution to an issue or challenge you are facing is to ask the right questions.

I'm not sure people would think of me in this light, but frankly, what I enjoyed most about Bain & Company, the consulting firm, was the analytical process of solving tough problems.

It's not an easy job to think creatively and then also have to think logistically.

I always try to stay methodical and logical with everything I do, playing cricket and making decisions.

Innovation comes from, one, acknowledging yourself; two, studying and understanding the problem; and three, finding a solution.

When you're bringing an idea to fruition, there are two distinct phases: the skeptic phase and the evangelist phase. During the first phase, you have to be willing to ask the hardest questions - is this idea worth pursuing? But once you are convinced, you flip a switch. It's about getting it done.