Why ‘Move fast and break things’ is so true despite being so false?

On the importance of controversial statements

Facebook HQ is known for its ‘propagandistic’ posters spread all over the campus. Big red capital-cased quotes which are there to motivate and inspire:

• Done is better than perfect.
• We are just 1% done.
• What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
• Fail harder.
• Move fast and break things.
• Proceed and be bold.
• The foolish wait.
• Is this a technology company?
• Think wrong.
• Stay focused & keep shipping.
• Fortune favors the bold.

None of those posters look like the posters in the rest of the corporate America: pictures of a man climbing the mountain (‘Be brave!’) or an eagle soaring in the skies (‘Dream!’). Is “Move fast and break things”- the absolute truth? Can the public company be intentionally sloppy? Of course not, the statement is controversial by design. Unlike the cliches like ‘Achieve!’ or ‘Be honest!’, it makes people think, disagree, doubt. It starts conversations and ignites ideas.

I do the same thing in what I write and what I say. Whenever a reader or a listener disagree, it’s a good sign. I did my job. We live in the world of opposing truths. And despite knowing that the reality is in fact somewhere in the spectrum of extremes, I intentionally choose to pick one of the extremes as my point. It makes people think intensely, choose science, debate, argue. Things which are impossible with the generalist’s statements which are too safe, too secure, too polite to be meaningful. Because by trying to avoid the low points, you choose to decrease the amplitude and end up losing the high points too. Absolutism begets insight. Move fast and break things! And at the same time: move deliberately and fix things.