Jack Kilby

The integrated circuit was a triumph of engineering.

I was just trying to make a better mousetrap.

The integrated circuit is a testament to the power of focused effort.

I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had.

The integrated circuit was a product of its time, but also ahead of its time.

My work was about making the impossible, possible.

The integrated circuit is a symbol of American innovation.

I hope my work inspires others to pursue their own ideas.

I didn't invent the integrated circuit to make computers smaller. I invented it to make them cheaper.

I was just trying to solve a problem. The fact that it changed the world was an accident.

My boss told me to go away for the summer and come up with something useful. So I did.

If I had known it would be this important, I would have patented it better.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. In my case, it was a summer vacation.

I'm not a genius. I just had a lot of time on my hands.

The integrated circuit was a solution looking for a problem, until it found about a billion of them.

I never set out to change the world. I just wanted to make a better transistor.

People ask me what I do for fun. I tell them I invent things.

The hardest part wasn't inventing it, it was convincing people it would work.

I suppose if I had failed, I'd just be a guy who spent a summer making a really expensive paperweight.

My biggest regret? Not buying stock in every company that used my invention.