Business Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli
“No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Prince, 1532
Successful enterprises must stay hidden until they are fully prepared to act, avoiding enemy detection.
In simple terms: Keep plans secret until ready to execute.
Key Takeaway
Maintain secrecy until the right moment.
Themes
strategy
secrecy
politics
Mood
cautious
strategic
Type
political
military
When to use this quote
- military campaigns
- business launches
- political maneuvers
- product releases
Key Concepts
Machiavellian tactics
timing
risk management
Questions to Reflect On
- When is secrecy more harmful than helpful?
- How do you balance secrecy with stakeholder trust?
A Different Perspective
Secrecy can hinder collaboration and transparency.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)