--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can learn from IBM's successful…" description: "\"We can learn from IBM's successful history that you don't have to have the best product to become number one. You don't even have to have a good produc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/588/adam-osborne-32374_history_we-can-learn-from-ibm-s-successful-histo_1069436.png" --- # We can learn from IBM's successful history that you don't… ![“We can learn from IBM's successful history that you don't have to have the best product to become number one. You don't even have to have a good product.” quote by Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/588/adam-osborne-32374_history_we-can-learn-from-ibm-s-successful-histo_1069436.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/588/adam-osborne-32374_history_we-can-learn-from-ibm-s-successful-histo_1069436.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/588/adam-osborne-32374_history_we-can-learn-from-ibm-s-successful-histo_1069436.png) > “We can learn from IBM's successful history that you don't have to have the best product to become number one. You don't even have to have a good product.” [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success can stem from market dominance or branding, not solely product superiority. **In simple terms:** Being number one doesn’t require the best product. Key Takeaway Leverage perception and strategy over perfection. Themes marketing competition strategy Mood strategic pragmatic Type business motivational When to use this quote - startup launch - product rollout - brand positioning Key Concepts business economics psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance branding with product quality? - When is a mediocre product acceptable? A Different Perspective Relying on perception can backfire if product fails to meet expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Ibm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ibm/) [Ibm Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ibm-successful-2655694/) [Learn Ibm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-ibm-2655695/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/product/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-history-2655696/) ## Related quotes > [Nixon's full term was one of the most successful in U.S. history, which is why he was re-elected by the largest plurality in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/nixon-s-full-term-was-one-of-the-most-successful-in-u-s-history-which/) [Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/) > [I'm the Latin artist who has been the most successful in history at representing the Latin culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-iglesias/i-m-the-latin-artist-who-has-been-the-most-successful-in-history-at/) [Julio Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-iglesias/) > [The manuals we got from IBM would show examples of programs and I knew I could do a heck of a lot better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/the-manuals-we-got-from-ibm-would-show-examples-of-programs-and-i/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [In December 1989, my mother died very suddenly, and that sparked a re-evaluation of what I was doing, and I realized I was mediocre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mckelvey/in-december-1989-my-mother-died-very-suddenly-and-that-sparked-a-re/) [Jim McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mckelvey/) > [IBM was the original contractor for much of the computer interface design on the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-trumbull/ibm-was-the-original-contractor-for-much-of-the-computer-interface/) [Douglas Trumbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-trumbull/) > [ Like IBM, the company \[Microsoft\] seems to have been spooked by the federal antitrust action against it and became increasingly sclerotic and less inventive. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-manes/like-ibm-the-company-microsoft-seems-to-have-been-spooked-by-the/) [Stephen Manes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-manes/) > [I grew up in Dallas, and my dad works for IBM, so I grew up in the environment of Silicon Prairie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-michael-foster/i-grew-up-in-dallas-and-my-dad-works-for-ibm-so-i-grew-up-in-the/) [Scott Michael Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-michael-foster/) > [IBM has had a long partnership with Siebel, JD Edwards and Peoplesoft, so from a partner perspective, this is a good move by both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-graham/ibm-has-had-a-long-partnership-with-siebel-jd-edwards-and-peoplesoft/) [Stephen Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-graham/) > [I've been a Mac guy for almost my entire adult life. I wrote my first college papers on a typewriter, but by the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/i-ve-been-a-mac-guy-for-almost-my-entire-adult-life-i-wrote-my-first/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [IBM has taken our valuable trade secrets and given them away to Linux.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darl-mcbride/ibm-has-taken-our-valuable-trade-secrets-and-given-them-away-to-linux/) [Darl McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darl-mcbride/) > [And so when I moved to IBM, I moved because I thought I could apply technology. I didn't actually have to do my engineer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginni-rometty/and-so-when-i-moved-to-ibm-i-moved-because-i-thought-i-could-apply/) [Ginni Rometty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginni-rometty/) > [IBM has research and development; so do Microsoft and Nike and even Jose Andres. But there hasn't been enough R&D on feeding people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ibm-has-research-and-development-so-do-microsoft-and-nike-and-even/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jensen/there-is-no-america-there-is-no-democracy-there-is-only-ibm-and-itt/) [Arthur Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jensen/) > [I was going to visit IBM for six months as a visiting scientist. Now, six months is a lot of time, so I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/i-was-going-to-visit-ibm-for-six-months-as-a-visiting-scientist-now/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [My dream was to grow up and get a job at IBM, like my dad. That seemed like a logical dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/my-dream-was-to-grow-up-and-get-a-job-at-ibm-like-my-dad-that-seemed/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) ## More by Adam Osborne > [Adequacy is sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/adequacy-is-sufficient/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [There'll be a special place in hell for the tape back-up people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/there-ll-be-a-special-place-in-hell-for-the-tape-back-up-people/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [With bundled machines you can throw away the hardware and keep the software, and it's still a good buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/with-bundled-machines-you-can-throw-away-the-hardware-and-keep-the/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [The future lies in designing and selling computers that people don't realize are computers at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/the-future-lies-in-designing-and-selling-computers-that-people-don-t/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [I take what I see work. I'm a strict believer in the scientific principle of believing nothing, only taking the best evidence available at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/i-take-what-i-see-work-i-m-a-strict-believer-in-the-scientific/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [Money coming in says I've made the right marketing decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/money-coming-in-says-i-ve-made-the-right-marketing-decisions/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [Adequacy is sufficient. All else is superfluous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/adequacy-is-sufficient-all-else-is-superfluous/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [This is the ultimate con game - I'm having fun and people pay me to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/this-is-the-ultimate-con-game-i-m-having-fun-and-people-pay-me-to-do/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake. You can't learn anything from being perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/the-most-valuable-thing-you-can-make-is-a-mistake-you-can-t-learn/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [The small businessman is smart; he realizes there's no free lunch. On the other hand, he knows where to go to get a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/the-small-businessman-is-smart-he-realizes-there-s-no-free-lunch-on/) [Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/) > [People think computers will keep them from making mistakes. They're wrong. 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Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [History is a certain way, but you just change the point of view a little bit, and you discover a whole new side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/history-is-a-certain-way-but-you-just-change-the-point-of-view-a/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) [C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 27,263 History quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can learn from IBM's successful history that you don't have to have the best product to become number one. 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