Big companies have trouble with innovation. Innovation is about bad ideas, or ideas that look like bad ideas. That's the fundamental thing.
Ben HorowitzRead
It turns out that is exactly what product strategy is all about—figuring out the right product is the innovator’s job, not the customer’s job.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Product strategy involves innovators determining what products to create instead of relying on customers to dictate their needs.
In the quote, Ben Horowitz emphasizes the crucial role of innovators in product strategy, stating that it is their responsibility to identify and develop the right products based on insight and vision, rather than waiting for customers to express their desires. This perspective shifts the focus from customer-driven development to innovator-led exploration, suggesting that true innovation requires proactive decision-making and creativity from those in charge.
Themes
Product StrategyInnovationCustomer NeedsBusinessVision
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a presentation about product development strategies.
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All quotes →As a company gets big, the information that informs decision-making gets massive. Depending upon the prism through which you view the business, your perspective will vary. If two people are in charge, this variance will cause conflict and delay.
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