Clayton Christensen Quotes

If you really stay focused on what your beliefs are and what your customer wants, you'll find the right markets.

Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.

We are producing something people can live without. But we need to keep thinking what would make our products a priority purchase even if they are not a necessity. If we stop doing that, no matter how successful Nintendo is at the moment, things will start going wrong in no time.

A successful business must have a sound knowledge of its market and work on how its product or service will be different, stand out and improve people's lives. If you can ensure it responds to a real need in the market place, your business can punch well above its weight.

When looking at trends I always ask myself basic and timeless questions about business, and the one I seem to always come back to is, 'How is this different than anything else in the marketplace?'

A sustaining innovation makes better products that you can sell for better profits to your best customers.

I think there is a niche for every market.

I learnt the hard way about positioning in business, about catering to the right segments.

The marketers can compete with free; it just has to be better. Look at bottled water if you don't believe me.

Advertising is the price companies pay for being unoriginal.

If you haven't created the time as an owner to understand why people are choosing your model over your competition, then you are only managing the business that comes in the door, not actively seeking it out.

You have to do things right to stay in business, and that's not easy, and that's a choice on a daily basis, the choices you make in how to run your business and how to have a point of differentiation and how to be true to your brand, how to offer something that people want and to offer something that you love.

I never think in terms of how we can compete against the other companies; rather, our primary focus is to make consumers feel the uniqueness and attractiveness of our products.

There are hundreds of competitors in the direct marketing of computers. We have been very successful because of quality, price, service and the way we treat the customer.

I'm always asking, 'How do you give a guy a new reason to buy a polo?'

Never expect that your startup can cover every aspect of the market. The key is knowing what segment will respond to your unique offering. Who your product appeals to is just as important as the product itself.

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.

No amount of tools can help a bad product. You have to remain genuine in your product development innovation and quality.

Business has only two basic functions - marketing and innovation.

A company's best advantage should be a quality product offered at the right price. That fair competition is what drives innovation.

Customers are very demanding and well informed.

You'll go out of business if you think people are stupid.

The way companies hang on to their marketshare is by being scared.

Relentless improvement of the product and upgrading of consumer tastes are the heart of mass merchandising.

When you're thinking about your next product or current product and wondering how to make it different so you don't have competition, understand the job the customer needs to get done.