move fast and break things

Move Fast and Break Things

A growth philosophy (popularized by early-era Facebook) prioritizing speed and iteration over perfection — ship quickly, learn from failures, fix what breaks.

When you'd see it: Startup culture discussions, team onboarding, post-mortems when speed-caused failures come up. The phrase peaked in the 2010s Silicon Valley era. By 2020, it was more often cited critically — as the philosophy that produces real harm when applied to platforms with billions of users.

Why it matters: Understanding the phrase and its historical context helps you read tech culture references and evaluate whether a company's stated culture matches its actual practices. A company that says 'move fast and break things' in 2026 is signaling either genuine early-stage startup energy or cultural lag.

Common mistakes: Treating it as purely positive or purely negative. At low scale and low stakes, the philosophy has genuine merit — iteration speed is a real competitive advantage. At scale, 'things that break' become trust, privacy, safety, and democratic institutions. Context and scale determine whether the philosophy is appropriate.

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