“No plan of battle survives contact with the enemy, and time is the ultimate opponent.”
Charles Stross book Rule 34
Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 1, “Liz: Red Pill, Blue Pill” (p. 16)
This includes a common paraphrase of a statement which originates with military strategist Field Marshall Helmuth von Moltke: "No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force."
Vorkosigan Saga, Cetaganda (1996)
“No plan of battle survives contact with the enemy, and time is the ultimate opponent.”
Charles Stross book Rule 34
Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 1, “Liz: Red Pill, Blue Pill” (p. 16)
“No plan survives contact with the enemy”
Erwin Rommel (1891–1944) German field marshal of World War II
“No plan survives the first encounter with your enemy, so why bother to make one?”
Jim C. Hines (1974) American writer
Source: The Goblin Quest Series, Goblin Hero (2007), Chapter 13 (p. 243)
“No business plan survives its first contact with customers.”
Steve Blank (1953) American businessman
Source: The Startup Owner’s Manual (2012), p. 53.
“The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.”
Carl von Clausewitz (1780–1831) German-Prussian soldier and military theorist
Ben Aaronovitch book Whispers Under Ground
Source: Whispers Under Ground (2012), Chapter 25, “Ladbroke Grove” (p. 262)
Norodom Sihanouk (1922–2012) Cambodian King
Said during his exile in Peking, as quoted by Oriana Fallaci (June 1973), Intervista con la Storia (sixth edition, 2011). page 128.
Interviews
Greg Bear (1951) American writer best known for science fiction
Source: Short fiction, Hardfought (1983), p. 76