--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you obsess about the customer, you…" description: "\"When you obsess about the customer, you end up defeating your competition as a byproduct. When you are just obsessed about the competition, you end up ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/kr-sridhar-107105_competition_when-you-obsess-about-the-customer-you-e_2979129.png" --- # When you obsess about the customer, you end up defeating… ![“When you obsess about the customer, you end up defeating your competition as a byproduct. When you are just obsessed about the competition, you end up killing yourself, because you are not focused on the customer.” quote by KR Sridhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/kr-sridhar-107105_competition_when-you-obsess-about-the-customer-you-e_2979129.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/kr-sridhar-107105_competition_when-you-obsess-about-the-customer-you-e_2979129.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/kr-sridhar-107105_competition_when-you-obsess-about-the-customer-you-e_2979129.png) > “When you obsess about the customer, you end up defeating your competition as a byproduct. When you are just obsessed about the competition, you end up killing yourself, because you are not focused on the customer.” KR Sridhar ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obsessing over customers yields competitive advantage; focusing on rivals leads to self‑destruction. **In simple terms:** Customer focus beats competitor fixation. Key Takeaway Prioritize customer needs. Themes business customer focus competition strategy leadership Mood strategic urgent Type business leadership When to use this quote - product development - service design - team meetings Key Concepts marketing customer experience strategic alignment Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance customer and competitor insights? - What metrics reflect true customer value? A Different Perspective Neglecting competition can expose blind spots. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Killing yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-yourself/) ## Related quotes > [Obsess about the next customer, not only the ones you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-gutsche/obsess-about-the-next-customer-not-only-the-ones-you-have/) [Jeremy Gutsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-gutsche/) > [As an industry, when you're in the talent business, we are way too obsessed on the competition with each other and not enough with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-reilly/as-an-industry-when-you-re-in-the-talent-business-we-are-way-too/) [Kevin Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-reilly/) > [If we can keep our competitors focused on us while we stay focused on the customer, ultimately we'll turn out all right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-we-can-keep-our-competitors-focused-on-us-while-we-stay-focused-on-2/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [So far, Indian companies have focused more on customer application. This needs to shift to packaged software for sectors such as banking and financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-kumar/so-far-indian-companies-have-focused-more-on-customer-application/) [Sanjay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-kumar/) > [We built TransferWise focused on customer innovation. That means we build our product based first and foremost on our customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taavet-hinrikus/we-built-transferwise-focused-on-customer-innovation-that-means-we/) [Taavet Hinrikus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taavet-hinrikus/) > [If you're not trying to do something better, then you're not focused on the customer and you'll miss the possibility of making your business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/if-you-re-not-trying-to-do-something-better-then-you-re-not-focused/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [Lyft is focused on the customer - the driver - as GM is. I've talked many times about our goal being, 'How we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-barra/lyft-is-focused-on-the-customer-the-driver-as-gm-is-i-ve-talked-many/) [Mary Barra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-barra/) > [At the end of the day, the differential, I believe, on the airline space has got to be about the product and the service…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-munoz/at-the-end-of-the-day-the-differential-i-believe-on-the-airline-space/) [Oscar Munoz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-munoz/) > [“If we can keep our competitors focused on us while we stay focused on the customer, ultimately we’ll turn out all right.” —Jeff Bezos”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-isson/if-we-can-keep-our-competitors-focused-on-us-while-we-stay-focused-on/) Jean-Paul Isson > [I obsess everyday about everything. Not only about what we do well but what we can do better... In the end, the only reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/i-obsess-everyday-about-everything-not-only-about-what-we-do-well-but/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [“To think is good. To obsess is bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-backley/to-think-is-good-to-obsess-is-bad/) [Steve Backley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-backley/) > [Confidence has nothing to do with what you look like. If you obsess over that, you'll end up being disappointed in yourself all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-seldes/confidence-has-nothing-to-do-with-what-you-look-like-if-you-obsess/) [Marian Seldes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-seldes/) > [I'm thrilled that country music fans like my stuff, but so do a lot of people outside of country music, people who just love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/i-m-thrilled-that-country-music-fans-like-my-stuff-but-so-do-a-lot-of/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) > [I don't eat well, exercise or do whatever is necessary to be as healthy as I can be. No, instead I obsess that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/i-don-t-eat-well-exercise-or-do-whatever-is-necessary-to-be-as/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## More by KR Sridhar > [When you don’t have resources, you become resourceful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kr-sridhar/when-you-don-t-have-resources-you-become-resourceful/) KR Sridhar Explore all 2 KR Sridhar quotes ## More Competition quotes > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [“At times, competition can be a good thing. But a person's value isn't something that can be ranked, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/at-times-competition-can-be-a-good-thing-but-a-person-s-value-isn-t/) [Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/) > [Our competition has always been anything that is wasting your time when you're bored at work. In a broad sense. We want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/our-competition-has-always-been-anything-that-is-wasting-your-time/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [I try to keep up with everything - all wrestling across the board. I want to know what the competition is doing, what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-try-to-keep-up-with-everything-all-wrestling-across-the-board-i/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [Sometimes in England, people look down at the Europa League, but being from the continent, I've always realised what an important competition it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/sometimes-in-england-people-look-down-at-the-europa-league-but-being/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [I've always written. When I was in school, the only teacher who ever liked me was my creative writing teacher. I used to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-always-written-when-i-was-in-school-the-only-teacher-who-ever/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [Competition between men is a fuel that's useful to us. We have to be careful that it doesn't tell the same story over too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-irwin/competition-between-men-is-a-fuel-that-s-useful-to-us-we-have-to-be/) [Bill Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-irwin/) [Browse all 3,894 Competition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you obsess about the customer, you end up defeating your competition as a byproduct. 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