--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do believe that in a race, it is naive…" description: "\"I do believe that in a race, it is naive to think Linux has a hope of making a dent against Microsoft starting from way behind with a fraction of the r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/kenneth-p-thompson-68867_behinds_i-do-believe-that-in-a-race-it-is-naive_2628203.jpg" --- # I do believe that in a race, it is naive to think Linux… ![“I do believe that in a race, it is naive to think Linux has a hope of making a dent against Microsoft starting from way behind with a fraction of the resources and amateur labor. (I feel the same about Unix.” quote by Kenneth P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/kenneth-p-thompson-68867_behinds_i-do-believe-that-in-a-race-it-is-naive_2628203.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/kenneth-p-thompson-68867_behinds_i-do-believe-that-in-a-race-it-is-naive_2628203.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/kenneth-p-thompson-68867_behinds_i-do-believe-that-in-a-race-it-is-naive_2628203.jpg) > “I do believe that in a race, it is naive to think Linux has a hope of making a dent against Microsoft starting from way behind with a fraction of the resources and amateur labor. (I feel the same about Unix.” [Kenneth P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-p-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competing with a dominant tech giant is extremely difficult without comparable resources and talent. **In simple terms:** Competing with Microsoft is hard without many resources. Key Takeaway Focus on niche strengths and community support. Themes technology competition resource disparity open source Mood cautious analytical realistic Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - Open source projects - startup ecosystems - resource‑limited teams - industry rivalry Key Concepts strategic positioning community building innovation collaboration market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What unique value can smaller teams offer? - How can collaboration offset resource gaps? A Different Perspective Open source can thrive despite resource gaps, but scaling remains challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Fractions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fractions/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Linux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linux/) [Linux Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linux-hope-2168238/) [Microsoft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/microsoft/) [Naive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naive/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race Naive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-naive-2168239/) [Resources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resources/) [Starting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Think Linux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-linux-2168237/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unix/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I think Linux is a great thing, because Linux is an alternative to Windows, and because, of all the operating systems that are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/i-think-linux-is-a-great-thing-because-linux-is-an-alternative-to/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [Bill Gates really seems to be much more of a business man than a technologist, while I prefer to think of Linux in technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/bill-gates-really-seems-to-be-much-more-of-a-business-man-than-a/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Bill Gates really seems to be much more of a business man than a technologist, while I prefer to think of Linux in technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/bill-gates-really-seems-to-be-much-more-of-a-business-man-than-a-2/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I think Linux is a great thing, in the big picture. It's a great hacker's tool, and it has a lot of potential to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/i-think-linux-is-a-great-thing-in-the-big-picture-it-s-a-great-hacker/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) > [I personally think of Linux development as being pretty non-localized, and I work with all the people entirely over e-mail - even if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-personally-think-of-linux-development-as-being-pretty-non-localized/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I must say the Linux community is a lot nicer than the Unix community. A negative comment on Unix would warrent death threats. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-p-thompson/i-must-say-the-linux-community-is-a-lot-nicer-than-the-unix-community/) [Kenneth P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-p-thompson/) > [A lot of other people wanted a free production UNIX with lots of bells and whistles and wanted to convert MINIX into that. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-s-tanenbaum/a-lot-of-other-people-wanted-a-free-production-unix-with-lots-of/) [Andrew S. Tanenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-s-tanenbaum/) > [If you want to travel around the world and be invited to speak at a lot of different places, just write a Unix operating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/if-you-want-to-travel-around-the-world-and-be-invited-to-speak-at-a/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I changed the Linux copyright license to be the GPL some time in the first half of 1992. Mostly because I had hated the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-changed-the-linux-copyright-license-to-be-the-gpl-some-time-in-the/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Obviously Linux owes its heritage to UNIX, but not its code. We would not, nor will not, make such a claim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darl-mcbride/obviously-linux-owes-its-heritage-to-unix-but-not-its-code-we-would/) [Darl McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darl-mcbride/) > [Unix has retarded OS research by 10 years and linux has retarded it by 20.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-ritchie/unix-has-retarded-os-research-by-10-years-and-linux-has-retarded-it/) [Dennis Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-ritchie/) > [I am confident that we can do better than GUIs because the basic problem with them (and with the Linux and Unix interfaces) is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jef-raskin/i-am-confident-that-we-can-do-better-than-guis-because-the-basic/) [Jef Raskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jef-raskin/) > [When we take a top-tier view of the amount of code showing up inside of Linux today that is either directly related to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darl-mcbride/when-we-take-a-top-tier-view-of-the-amount-of-code-showing-up-inside/) [Darl McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darl-mcbride/) > [Most hackers graduate from Unix and Linux platforms. They know them intimately. They don't try to exploit them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-stockwell/most-hackers-graduate-from-unix-and-linux-platforms-they-know-them/) [Dean Stockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-stockwell/) > [I think the open software movement (and Linux in particular) is laudable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-p-thompson/i-think-the-open-software-movement-and-linux-in-particular-is-laudable/) [Kenneth P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-p-thompson/) ## More by Kenneth P. Thompson > [You can't trust code that you did not totally create yourself. (Especially code from companies that employ people like me.) No amount of source-level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-p-thompson/you-can-t-trust-code-that-you-did-not-totally-create-yourself/) [Kenneth P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-p-thompson/) > [I think the open software movement (and Linux in particular) is laudable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-p-thompson/i-think-the-open-software-movement-and-linux-in-particular-is-laudable/) [Kenneth P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-p-thompson/) > [I must say the Linux community is a lot nicer than the Unix community. A negative comment on Unix would warrent death threats. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-p-thompson/i-must-say-the-linux-community-is-a-lot-nicer-than-the-unix-community/) [Kenneth P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-p-thompson/) [Explore all 4 Kenneth P. Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-p-thompson/) ## More Behinds quotes > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. 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If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/) [Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [With the realization of God comes all power. If the little wave knew that behind it is the great ocean, it could say, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/with-the-realization-of-god-comes-all-power-if-the-little-wave-knew/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. 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All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) [Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do believe that in a race, it is naive to think Linux has a hope of making a dent against Microsoft starting from way behind with a fraction of the resources and amateur labor. (I feel the same about Unix.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kenneth P. 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