Building A Faster Horse

Why People Miss The Point Of That Henry Ford Quote

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” — Henry Ford

Henry Ford is considered to be one of the great pioneers of the automobile industry. He paved the way for affordable cars and now Ford is synonymous with driving.

The quote above is often used to prove that companies shouldn’t listen to what their customers want. This misinterpretation relies on a key piece of logic. Ford’s customers would want faster horses rather than the car that he provided them with. It follows that Ford was wise to ignore calls for faster horses and to do what he thought best.

Except, that’s missing the point entirely.

Let’s gloss over the fact that Ford made a pretty big assumption. He doesn’t actually know for sure that his customers would ask for faster horses. They might ask for more comfort, or quieter horses, or a range of different colors.

But all of that is beside the point. The point is that Ford did provide his customers with a faster horse. This new horse was faster, it was more comfortable, it came in a range of different colors.

The horse was a car.

When Ford’s customers asked for a faster horse, what they really needed was a faster means of transport. Granted, they might not have known that the faster transport would come in car form, but they knew what they needed.

Ford managed to tune in to exactly what his customers wanted. He just didn’t ask them. But if he had sought out customer feedback, he’d realize he was on the right path.

Maybe Ford was lucky. Some companies may miss out on product opportunities altogether simply by not listening to their customers.

So here are the takeaways…

One: You should always obtain as much feedback as possible from your customers.

Two: When you ask them what they want, you may have to decipher and interpret what they need.

When they ask for a faster horse, they’re actually asking for a faster means of transport. When they say they want a smaller computer, they’re actually asking for a more portable device. When they say they want waterproof clothes, they’re actually asking to be kept dry.

Sometimes you have to read between the lines. That’s the true meaning behind Ford’s quote.

Dig deep and figure out what your customers’ faster horse is.

Joe is the Content King of Receptive.io, the best software for managing feedback and making product decisions. Find out more here.