I try not to invent things that people don't need.

Thomas Alva Edison

PeopleTryingNeedsInvent

I make more mistakes than anyone else I know, and sooner or later, I patent most of them.

Thomas Alva Edison

MistakesSoonerLaterPatent

My principal business is giving commercial value to the brilliant - but misdirected - ideas of others.

Thomas Alva Edison

PrincipalBusinessCommercialValue...+2

Everyone steals in commerce and industry. I've stolen a lot, myself. But I know how to steal! They don't know how to steal!

Thomas Alva Edison

StealsCommerceIndustryEveryone

Negative results are just what I want. They're just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don't.

Thomas Alva Edison

NegativeResultsValuablePositive...+3

I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.

Thomas Alva Edison

AnythingAccidentInventionsWork