# Montesquieu’s quote on timing is key to success

2026-08-12T23:11:17+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

Times of India revisits the French Enlightenment thinker Montesquieu's quote: "The success of most things depends upon knowing how long it will take to succeed." The article traces how Amazon founder Jeff Bezos applied this principle, investing in long-term infrastructure despite Wall Street's demand for quick profits, accepting short-term losses to build eventual dominance. Montesquieu, whose 1748 work The Spirit of the Laws shaped modern political thought, understood that lasting change requires accurate timelines. The piece connects this wisdom to the planning fallacy identified by Kahneman and Tversky in 1979, where people underestimate time and overestimate benefits, leading to premature abandonment of sound strategies.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/quote-of-the-day-by-montesquieu-the-success-of-most-things-depends-upon-knowing-how-long-it-will-take-to-succeed-and-why-we-give-up-on-our-biggest-goals-too-soon/articleshow/133192668.cms>

Tags: Amazon, Jeff Bezos, long-term strategy, montesquieu, planning fallacy, startup culture
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