--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't take a dying project, sprinkle…" description: "\"You can't take a dying project, sprinkle it with the magic pixie dust of \"open source,\" and have everything magically work out.\" — Jamie Zawinski" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/jamie-zawinski-16110_death_you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle_2985076.png" --- # You can't take a dying project, sprinkle it with the magic… ![“You can't take a dying project, sprinkle it with the magic pixie dust of "open source," and have everything magically work out.” quote by Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/jamie-zawinski-16110_death_you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle_2985076.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/jamie-zawinski-16110_death_you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle_2985076.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/jamie-zawinski-16110_death_you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle_2985076.png) > “You can't take a dying project, sprinkle it with the magic pixie dust of "open source," and have everything magically work out.” [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Open‑source contributions cannot instantly fix a failing project; success still requires solid fundamentals and effort beyond just adding code. **In simple terms:** Open source isn’t a quick fix for broken projects. Key Takeaway Invest in core development before relying on open source. Themes software development open source project management Mood pragmatic cautious Type technical advisory When to use this quote - startup launches - legacy system upgrades - team collaborations - product pivots Key Concepts engineering risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What core issues must be addressed first? - How can open source be integrated responsibly? A Different Perspective Open source may introduce new complexities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Open source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-source/) [Pixie dust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pixie-dust/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) ## Related quotes > [In the best organizations, love is the real "pixie dust."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-capodagli/in-the-best-organizations-love-is-the-real-pixie-dust/) [Bill Capodagli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-capodagli/) > [What the mortgage bubble was all about was big banks like Goldman Sachs taking big bundles of subprime mortgages that were lent out largely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/what-the-mortgage-bubble-was-all-about-was-big-banks-like-goldman/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [Faith. Trust. and Pixie Dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/faith-trust-and-pixie-dust/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was six years old I sprinkled sugar on my head, convinced myself it was pixie dust, wished myself invisible, and walked into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/when-i-was-six-years-old-i-sprinkled-sugar-on-my-head-convinced/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [All you need is trust and a little bit of pixie dust!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-barrie/all-you-need-is-trust-and-a-little-bit-of-pixie-dust/) [James M. 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Everything Is Possible With A Little Bit Of Pixie Dust!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinkerbell/believe-in-magic-everything-is-possible-with-a-little-bit-of-pixie/) [Tinkerbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinkerbell/) > [“She is here amongst us, but she is not alone,” one of the pixie dust angels told the queen of the woods. “And?” the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynette-mather/she-is-here-amongst-us-but-she-is-not-alone-one-of-the-pixie-dust/) [Lynette Mather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynette-mather/) > [“I’ve got the word of an eight-year-old girl, an old fairytale I used to know, and a shred of faith... It’s not pixie dust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-r-frie/i-ve-got-the-word-of-an-eight-year-old-girl-an-old-fairytale-i-used/) [Emory R. 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Did you not get the memo? Vampires are hot! Besides, compared to most cities, we barely even have a vampire population. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-l-l/erica-hello-did-you-not-get-the-memo-vampires-are-hot-besides/) Dr. L.L > [“At last, Tink realized, she did have a mission. One born of her own passion. It would involve magic--- fiery, perhaps more concentrated, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lim/at-last-tink-realized-she-did-have-a-mission-one-born-of-her-own/) [Elizabeth Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lim/) ## More by Jamie Zawinski > [Our focus in the client group had always been to build products and features that people wanted to use. That we wanted to use.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/our-focus-in-the-client-group-had-always-been-to-build-products-and/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [There is a lot of money to be made in the business of secrets, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/there-is-a-lot-of-money-to-be-made-in-the-business-of-secrets-of/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [I don't get much sense of reward from having discovered how to get the Foo card to coexist with the Bar card.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/i-don-t-get-much-sense-of-reward-from-having-discovered-how-to-get/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [Don't do drugs, kids. Stay in school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/don-t-do-drugs-kids-stay-in-school/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [It combines the power of C with the readability of PostScript.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/it-combines-the-power-of-c-with-the-readability-of-postscript/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [I find that getting something on the screen as soon as possible really helps focus the problem for me. It helps me decide what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/i-find-that-getting-something-on-the-screen-as-soon-as-possible/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [ Convenient though it would be if it were true, Mozilla \[Netscape 1.0\] is not big because it's full of useless crap. Mozilla is big… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/convenient-though-it-would-be-if-it-were-true-mozilla-netscape-1-0-is/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [The universe tends toward maximum irony. Don't push it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/the-universe-tends-toward-maximum-irony-don-t-push-it/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [Any time someone says "that's it, I'm leaving" I ask them whether they'd prefer to live under US domestic policy, or US foreign policy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/any-time-someone-says-that-s-it-i-m-leaving-i-ask-them-whether-they-d/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [Why should someone have to retrain themselves to use a new application that does the same basic thing as the old application, just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/why-should-someone-have-to-retrain-themselves-to-use-a-new/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [Mostly I use the O2 as an X terminal, however, running my apps on Linux and displaying remotely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/mostly-i-use-the-o2-as-an-x-terminal-however-running-my-apps-on-linux/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [Your needs are big because the Internet is big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/your-needs-are-big-because-the-internet-is-big/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [Today, I use Linux as my primary OS (on an x86 PC, and on a Thinkpad), and I also use Irix (on an SGI…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/today-i-use-linux-as-my-primary-os-on-an-x86-pc-and-on-a-thinkpad-and/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [If you give a cracker a new toy, the first thing he'll do is carve his initials in it. Fortunately, most crackers get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/if-you-give-a-cracker-a-new-toy-the-first-thing-he-ll-do-is-carve-his/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [Because, you see, what I want to do is to commoditize the OS. I want to have access to all the applications that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/because-you-see-what-i-want-to-do-is-to-commoditize-the-os-i-want-to/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) [Explore all 41 Jamie Zawinski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. 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You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't take a dying project, sprinkle it with the magic pixie dust of \"open source,\" and have everything magically work out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jamie Zawinski" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle-it-with-the-magic-pixie-dust/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle-it-with-the-magic-pixie-dust/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/jamie-zawinski-16110_death_you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle_2985076.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/jamie-zawinski-16110_death_you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle_2985076.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed7/jamie-zawinski-16110_death_you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle_2985076.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't take a dying project, sprinkle it with the magic pixie dust of \"open source,\" and have everything…” — Jamie Zawinski", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jamie Zawinski", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't take a dying project,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle-it-with-the-magic-pixie-dust/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/you-can-t-take-a-dying-project-sprinkle-it-with-the-magic-pixie-dust/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```