If you’ve ever scoured the web for Product Management Quotes and encountered the same tired list of 20 quotes from the usual suspects, then you’re likely craving some fresh motivation.
Instead of regurgitating the same old product management quotes found on countless other blogs, I’ve made it my mission to gather a diverse range of inspiring quotes, steering clear of the well trodden path. While you’ll certainly encounter a selection of product management quotes from the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg, you’ll also discover a wealth of inspiration from unexpected sources, such as Albert Einstein, Wayne Gretzky, and Mark Twain! Additionally, you’ll also find quick explainers to clarify how each quote applies to the practice of Product Management. Enjoy!
- “If you’re not embarrassed when you ship your first version you waited too long.” – Reid Hoffman
Ship an MVP quickly and improve iteratively based on feedback.
- “Products that survive ship early and ship often.” – Eric Ries
Successful products iterate continuously based on user feedback.
- “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
Innovate constantly – don’t just follow what others are doing.
- “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs
Focus on user experience and functionality as much as aesthetics.
- “The customer doesn’t care about your capabilities – they care about their problems.” – Dave Ulmer
Build what solves customers’ needs, not just what you are capable of.
- “If you are not listening to your customers, your competitors are.” – Simon Sinek
Stay obsessively focused on customers and their needs.
- “Build a product that the world will love, and make the world a little bit better.” – Garry Tan
Aim to delight customers and make a positive impact.
- “It’s not the customer’s job to know what they want.” – Steve Jobs
This speaks to taking the lead in understanding customer needs, not expecting them to directly ask for solutions.
- “Data beats opinions.” – Avinash Kaushik
Leveraging data and not assumptions when making decisions. Testing ideas early to validate them.
- “Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.” – Mark Zuckerberg
The ethos of rapid experimentation and velocity in building products.
- “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates
Seeing dissatisfied customers as an opportunity to improve your product, not just a nuisance.
- “Build products that resonate with what people want.” – Eric Ries
Staying focused on building for your users’ needs and wants. Avoid getting distracted by technology for technology’s sake.
- “Shipping something imperfect is better than not shipping at all.” – growth.design
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good – launch and iterate based on feedback.
- “Find a problem, not a product, find the solution, not an audience.” – Daymond John
Start with addressing real problems vs. building technology for its own sake.
- “Validation is much more valuable than ideas.” – Erika Hall
Ideas must be tested and validated with real users to provide value.
- “Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it’s about deliberately choosing to be different.” – Michael Porter
Make tough choices to focus – you can’t be all things to all customers.
- “Talk is cheap. Show me the code.” – Linus Torvalds
Working software with real functionality beats ideas and mockups.
- “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” – Grace Hopper
Move fast by testing ideas quickly even if they may fail.
- “Build your product around a focused user experience.” – Ev Williams
Design the full end-to-end user experience, don’t just add features.
- “Focus on the user and all else will follow.” – Jeff Bezos
Put the needs and wants of the user first, before technology, business models, etc. Building for the user creates the right foundation.
- “Products don’t fail, companies do.” – Marty Cagan
Products themselves don’t succeed or fail – companies do based on if they build what users want. Don’t blame the product, look at the company’s strategy and execution.
- “The biggest mistake a Product Manager can make is following, not leading their intuition.” – Ellen Chisa
Have a vision and lead with conviction, not just follow what others think. Have insights and intuition about the product and user needs.
- “Products that win are focused on user value, not value capture.” – Gibson Biddle
Build products that create great value for users first. Revenue and profit will follow if you get this right. Don’t focus on monetization too early.
- “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men and women to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Inspire teams through vision and purpose, not just tasks.
- “You can’t understand a user experience without being the user.” – Kaaren Hanson
Empathize and truly walk in your customers’ shoes.
- “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein
Simplicity and clarity are key to great product experiences.
- “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
Take risks through rapid experimentation and iteration.
- “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford
Collaboration and teamwork are essential to building great products.
- “Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent.” – Joe Sparano
Great products should be intuitive and frictionless to use.
- “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao Tzu
Be ready to pivot based on user feedback and market changes. Stick to a failing strategy and you’ll fail.
- “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
Don’t overplan and overanalyze. Start building and learning through action.
- “Smart leaders believe half of what they hear. Discerning leaders know which half to believe.” – Jeffrey Fry
Be data-driven but also trust your judgment about which data matters.
- “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.” – Steve Jobs
Focus on solving customer needs before building technology for its own sake.
- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
Take an entrepreneurial approach of designing innovative products to shape the future. Don’t just follow it.
- “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” – Albert Einstein
Build simple, intuitive products, but don’t oversimplify and remove valuable functionality.
- “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” – Walt Disney
Focus on people and interactions to bring products to life. Technology alone is not enough.
- “Knowledge is having the right answer. Intelligence is asking the right question.” – Unknown
Ask the right questions of customers to uncover their unmet needs.
- “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.” – Seth Godin
Let solving customer needs drive product development, not the reverse.
- “The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time.” – Henry Ford
Obsess over your customers, not competitors. Out-innovate, don’t just benchmark.
- “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” – Benjamin Franklin
Wake up early, work hard, stay disciplined. Build momentum.
- “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” – Thomas Edison
Hard work trumps ideas. Consistent execution is key.
- “You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills.” – Jim Rohn
Set ambitious goals, but invest to develop the skills to achieve them.
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
Passion and intrinsic motivation trumps extrinsic motivation.
- “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill
Strive for constant improvement through iteration. Perfection comes from change.
As you reflect on these inspiring Product Management quotes, remember that the world of Product Management is as dynamic and diverse as the sources of wisdom we’ve shared. Each quote encapsulates a unique perspective, offering you valuable insights and motivation to navigate this challenging field.
Whether you’re a seasoned Product Manager or just beginning your journey, let these quotes serve as a source of inspiration, reminding you that innovation, determination, and creative thinking are the driving forces behind your success.
