“Hell, there are no rules here. We're trying to accomplish something.”
— Thomas Edison
Said to his research team at Menlo Park laboratory (1870s-1880s). Documented in multiple employee accounts and Edison biographies.
In 1878, my team at Menlo Park was stuck. Everyone wanted procedures, protocols, safe experiments. I looked around at their worried faces and said it out loud: there are no rules here. We're trying to accomplish something nobody's done before. Rules are for people protecting what already exists. We're building what doesn't exist yet. If you're creating something new, stop asking for permission. Stop waiting for the rulebook. Make your own path.