In the long run managements stressing accounting appearance over economic substance usually achieve little of either.
Interpretation
Prioritizing superficial accounting practices over actual economic value leads to minimal success.
Warren Buffett's quote emphasizes the importance of focusing on the real economic value of a business rather than getting lost in the superficiality of accounting appearances. He suggests that when management prioritizes how things look on paper over the underlying economic realities, they end up gaining little benefit in the long term, indicating that true success comes from understanding the substance of business finance, not just its presentation.
In practice
During a business seminar focusing on ethical accounting practices.
I have no views as to where it will be, but the one thing I can tell you is it won't do anything between now and then except look at you. Whereas, you know, Coca-Cola (KO) will be making money, and I think Wells Fargo (WFC) will be making a lot of money and there will be a lot - and it's a lot - it's a lot better to have a goose that keeps laying eggs than a goose that just sits there and eats insurance and storage and a few things like that.
If the world couldn't see your results, would you rather be thought of as the world's greatest investor but in reality have the world's worst record? Or be thought of as the world's worst investor when you were actually the best?
Cash never makes us happy, but it's better to have the money burning a hole in Berkshire's pocket than resting comfortably in someone else's.
I think you should read everything you can. In my case, by the age of 10, I'd read every book in the Omaha public library about investing, some twice. _x000D_ You need to fill your mind with various competing thoughts and decide which make sense.
The most common cause of low prices is pessimism - some times pervasive, some times specific to a company or industry. We want to do business in such an environment, not because we like pessimism but because we like the prices it produces. It's optimism that is the enemy of the rational buyer.
Oneβs objective should be to get it right, get it quick, get it out and get it over. Your problem wonβt improve with age.
Managing a business, small or large, today requires an extremely disciplined, thoughtful approach with regard to the pressure that people are under.
The most efficient way to produce anything is to bring together under one management as many as possible of the activities needed to turn out the product.
Our vision, which has not changed since the day the company was founded.
If you deprive yourself of outsourcing and your competitors do not, you're putting yourself out of business.
I think any company should compete on the quality of their products, their prices, the novelty they can produce, their services, because that would be fair competition.
A good idea for a new business tends not to occur in isolation, and often the window of opportunity is very small. So speed is of the essence.
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