As quoted in "The Vindication of Edwin Land" in Forbes magazine, Vol. 139 (4 May 1987) p. 83; this was later humorously altered:
Don't do anything that someone else can do. Don't undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.
Edwin Ladd, Department of Astronomy, Harvard University (August, 1990), as quoted by Lincoln J. Greenhill at Harvard University http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~lincoln/
“Don't do anything that someone else can do. Don't undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.”
As quoted in "The Vindication of Edwin Land" in Forbes magazine, Vol. 139 (4 May 1987) p. 83; this was later humorously altered:
Context: My motto is very personal and may not fit anyone else or any other company. It is: Don't do anything that someone else can do. Don't undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.
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Edwin H. Land 44
American scientist and inventor 1909–1991Related quotes
As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III" http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/satsum3.htm, Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

“Anything worth doing can be done by someone else.”
Ron English's Fauxlosophy: Volume 2 (2022)
“Do Something Nice for Someone Else — and Don't Tell Anyone About It”
Title of Lesson 8
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all Small Stuff (1997)

“I don't actually have anything against anybody, unless their belief precludes everybody else's.”
" Joss Whedon: Atheist & Absurdist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EReyF2ZzXGA", comments made in a Q&A-session in Australia, while promoting his movie Serenity (2005)
Context: I don't actually have anything against anybody, unless their belief precludes everybody else's. … I am an atheist and an absurdist and I have been for many years. I've actually taken a huge amount of flack for that.

“You don't need someone else's approval to do what you want; just figure it out and do it, damn it!”
Attributed

“If you ever need anything please don't hesitate to ask someone else first.”

Singh on playing for India, quoted on sports.ndtv, "Harbhajan Singh Says he Urged Mahendra Singh Dhoni to Bat up the Order in Asia Cup Final" http://sports.ndtv.com/asia-cup-2016/news/256271-harbhajan-singh-says-he-urged-mahendra-singh-dhoni-to-bat-up-the-order-in-asia-cup-final, March 8, 2016.
“I don't see how you can write anything of value if you don't offend someone.”