Move fast and break things
Direct coinage evidence supports Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook usage in the inspectable 2012 IPO letter; secondary reports place related public use earlier (2009), but that earlier transcript was not independently re-inspected here.
Evidence roles
Facebook Form S-1, 1 February 2012 — Earliest verified occurrence located in an inspectable primary text in this review: Zuckerberg’s letter in Facebook’s Form S-1 (1 February 2012).
Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook internal saying — Commonly credited to Mark Zuckerberg as a Facebook saying; the company presents it as its own motto in the 2012 IPO letter.
Facebook IPO letter (February 2012) — Popularized by Zuckerberg’s “Hacker Way” letter in Facebook’s February 2012 Form S-1, which quotes the saying and explains it for investors.
Timeline
- 2012-02-01claimed coinage: Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook internal saying
Commonly credited to Mark Zuckerberg as a Facebook saying; the company presents it as its own motto in the 2012 IPO letter.
- 2012-02-01popularized by: Facebook IPO letter (February 2012)
Popularized by Zuckerberg’s “Hacker Way” letter in Facebook’s February 2012 Form S-1, which quotes the saying and explains it for investors.
- 2012earliest verified occurrence: Facebook Form S-1, 1 February 2012
Earliest verified occurrence located in an inspectable primary text in this review: Zuckerberg’s letter in Facebook’s Form S-1 (1 February 2012).
Sources
Facebook, Inc. Form S-1 Registration Statement (Letter from Mark Zuckerberg)
We have a saying: “Move fast and break things.” The idea is that if you never break anything, you’re probably not moving fast enough.
Scope and review
Search scope. SEC EDGAR Facebook S-1 full text and secondary press summarizing earlier interview use. Did not obtain a contemporaneous 2009 Business Insider transcript beyond secondary quotation.
Evidence reviewed. Facebook Form S-1 (2012-02-01) primary text; secondary reporting of Zuckerberg’s 2009 remarks.
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