Optimization is generally detrimental to future success, but it is the only way to accomplish present success in competition with others who are equally interested in short-term results.

— Erik Naggum, Re: O'reilly subjugated to the Lisp juggenaut

Source: http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.lisp/msg/a10d0e7d8e7354b2

From a Usenet article.

Topics: software engineering