I love that quote. As best I can tell, Tim O’Reilly was the first to say it, and I think it has lasting power. Not only is it simple and to the point, it serves as an implicit answer to a variety of questions.
Q: “How can we ensure we’re headed down the right path in our product development?”
A: “Create more value than you capture.”
Q: “What’s a good approach to take to set your business on the path to long term success?”
A: “Create more value than you capture.”
I’d say that’s about the shortest possible answer to those questions you could possibly give, yet the meaning it carries implies so much more than can be expressed in 6 words. In my opinion, it also has a karmic suggestiveness to it.
“Create more value than you capture.”
You get back what you put out. By suggesting you create more value for others than you do for yourself, you’re setting the table for the return trip of that goodwill down the road. And even if that goodwill never returns, you’ll know that you approached the situation with the best of intentions. There’s peace of mind in that.
Sometimes you just come across sayings that carry more weight than others - it’s unique for everyone, and I’m sure that each individual reading this post has a favorite saying that bounces around inside their head from time to time. I think this one resonated with me specifically because we’re nearing the launch of our product, and it expresses the internal vision for our company perfectly. You never know how your efforts are going to be received by the public - I just hope they see the same value in our product that we’re trying to build into it.
What’s one of your favorite sayings? Are there any that resonate specifically with you on a daily basis? I’d love to hear them - as you can see, I update the stream with cool quotes I find all the time. Add your favorite in the comments and I’ll put it up!
