I think he might have gotten that from a better-known aphorism: "Yesterday's solutions are today's problems."
Thanks for your comment. It was fun and inspired other fun comments.
Anyway, I'm very curious about that mentor-at-a-distance? Can you share more?
Eli really dug into the subjects that interested him. He always came up with interesting insights. At the conferences, from time to time, I'd join Eli with a few others for dinner or lunch. We didn't go out for beers, though, and I wasn't really in his inner circle.
He has published many good books, and usually, they are Socratic novels. They are fun to read, and I get something new out of them every time I read them.
His last book, "The Choice," was written with his daughter, Efrat Goldratt-Ashlag. In that book, Eli really lays out his general approach. I recommend it.
Eli passed away in June of 2011.