"Pour qu'une technologie soit réussie, la réalité doit prendre le pas sur les relations publiques, car la nature ne peut être trompée"

The essence here is simple: you can't fake how things work. This idea suggests that no matter how much hype or PR you throw at a technology, if it doesn't work in the real world, it'll fail. Nature, or reality, won't be tricked by fancy words or glossy presentations.

This was famously said by Richard Feynman, a brilliant physicist, in the wake of the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986. It was a time of great introspection and accountability—people were looking for answers on why such a catastrophic failure happened. Feynman, part of the investigation team, highlighted that the disaster was partly due to ignoring the real engineering issues while public relations painted an overly optimistic picture.

Let's bring it down to everyday life. Picture a brand-new smartphone that's all the rage. Everyone's talking about its sleek design, its amazing camera, and those endless features. The company spends millions on marketing, creating a buzz that has people lining up to buy it. But once they get their hands on it, they find the battery dies after just a few hours, the camera isn't as good as advertised, and it frequently crashes. Despite all the hype, the reality of using the phone is a huge letdown. The company can't just fool nature—the phone either works well or it doesn't.

So, how can you apply this wisdom? If you're developing something—whether it’s a new app, a product, or even a piece of art—focus on making it genuinely good. Test it, refine it, make sure it works. Don't just rely on marketing or hype to carry it through. Always remember that at the end of the day, it’s the real-world performance that counts.

Imagine you're organizing a local concert. You could spend all your time and money on posters, social media ads, and telling everyone it's going to be the best event ever. But if you don't book good musicians, ensure the sound system is top-notch, and create a great atmosphere, people are going to leave disappointed—and they'll remember that. The reality of their experience can't be covered up by your advertising.

Think of Steve Jobs and the first iPhone. Sure, the marketing was incredible, but the product itself was revolutionary—it really worked. It changed the way we interact with technology because it was genuinely good. That’s why it succeeded. Jobs' attention to detail and insistence on quality made the product a reality, not just a good story.

To sum it up, focus on making things work in the real world. That’s what people will remember and talk about. Hype fades, but reality sticks. And remember, you’re doing this to help people, to make something useful and good. Keep that in mind as your guiding star, and nature will be on your side.