--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Your customers can tell you the things…" description: "\"Your customers can tell you the things that are broken and how they want to be made happy. Listen to them. Make them happy. But don't rely on them to c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/mark-cuban-889_broken_your-customers-can-tell-you-the-things-t_2833424.jpg" --- # Your customers can tell you the things that are broken and… ![“Your customers can tell you the things that are broken and how they want to be made happy. Listen to them. Make them happy. But don't rely on them to create the future road map for your product or service. That's your job.” quote by Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/mark-cuban-889_broken_your-customers-can-tell-you-the-things-t_2833424.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/mark-cuban-889_broken_your-customers-can-tell-you-the-things-t_2833424.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/mark-cuban-889_broken_your-customers-can-tell-you-the-things-t_2833424.jpg) > “Your customers can tell you the things that are broken and how they want to be made happy. Listen to them. Make them happy. But don't rely on them to create the future road map for your product or service. That's your job.” [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Customers reveal current problems and desires, but strategic direction must be set by leaders. **In simple terms:** Customers point out issues; leaders set roadmap. Key Takeaway Listen, then decide yourself. Themes customer insight leadership product strategy Mood pragmatic determined Type advisory strategic When to use this quote - product development - service improvement - market research Key Concepts feedback loops vision setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance feedback with vision? - When should you ignore customer suggestions? A Different Perspective Relying solely on customers can limit innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers/) [Customers Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers-tell-2216764/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Make happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-happy/) [Product Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/product-service-1125381/) [Rely Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rely-create-3673399/) [Road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road/) [Road map](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road-map/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) ## Related quotes > [There's no reason to feel embarrassed about presenting your product or service if it solves a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howes/there-s-no-reason-to-feel-embarrassed-about-presenting-your-product/) [Lewis Howes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howes/) > [Every-time we use a product or service, someone is serving us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/every-time-we-use-a-product-or-service-someone-is-serving-us/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [“Technically speaking, innovation is the process of creating a product or service solution that delivers significant new customer value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ulwick/technically-speaking-innovation-is-the-process-of-creating-a-product/) [Anthony Ulwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ulwick/) > [Happiness is a by product of service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-critchlow-jr/happiness-is-a-by-product-of-service/) [William J. Critchlow, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-critchlow-jr/) > [How well you tell your story determines how well your customers tell your story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/how-well-you-tell-your-story-determines-how-well-your-customers-tell/) [Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/) > [Customers can tell you how to evolve a product, but they can't show you how to make a leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/customers-can-tell-you-how-to-evolve-a-product-but-they-can-t-show/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [“I ask them, “If the product were free, how many would you actually deploy or use?” The goal is to take pricing away as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gary-blank/i-ask-them-if-the-product-were-free-how-many-would-you-actually/) [Steven Gary Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gary-blank/) > [If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. 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There actually are two books that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/my-guiding-principle-and-motivation-was-that-i-wanted-to-retire-by/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [I try to make myself happy, no, because I know that if I'm not happy, my colleagues are not happy and my shareholders are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/i-try-to-make-myself-happy-no-because-i-know-that-if-i-m-not-happy-my/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Communicate with your fans or customers. They know we live in an ever changing world. If you tell them what you are thinking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/communicate-with-your-fans-or-customers-they-know-we-live-in-an-ever/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [It is so much easier to be nice, to be respectful, to put yourself in your customers' shoes and try to understand how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/it-is-so-much-easier-to-be-nice-to-be-respectful-to-put-yourself-in/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [No sane person wants hell to exist. No sane person wants evil to exist. But hell is just evil eternalized. If there is evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/no-sane-person-wants-hell-to-exist-no-sane-person-wants-evil-to-exist/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [A gift, like a good friend drawing a personal road map out of the crazy busy swirl of our overloaded lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/a-gift-like-a-good-friend-drawing-a-personal-road-map-out-of-the/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) ## More by Mark Cuban > [At least before my hip replacement, I had a quick first step. I could get by you off the dribble. My business game is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/at-least-before-my-hip-replacement-i-had-a-quick-first-step-i-could/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Culture is very important to the Mavs… It isn't about who talks the most or the loudest. It is about the demeanor and attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/culture-is-very-important-to-the-mavs-it-isn-t-about-who-talks-the/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [I have always been selling. I always had something going on. That was just my nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-have-always-been-selling-i-always-had-something-going-on-that-was/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [I can turn an idea into a business before you know it's going to be important. My first step will blow by you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-can-turn-an-idea-into-a-business-before-you-know-it-s-going-to-be/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Sales Cure All. Know how your company will make money and how you will actually make sales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/sales-cure-all-know-how-your-company-will-make-money-and-how-you-will/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [The people I don't like to work with are people like me. I need people who can complement my skill set, people who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/the-people-i-don-t-like-to-work-with-are-people-like-me-i-need-people/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [TV is no longer the best alternative to boredom. To kids not old enough for Snapchat, music is the best alternative to boredom. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/tv-is-no-longer-the-best-alternative-to-boredom-to-kids-not-old/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [When you first start working for me, directly for me, I micromanage until I trust you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/when-you-first-start-working-for-me-directly-for-me-i-micromanage/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [What I’ve learned is that if you really want to be successful at something, you’ll find that you put the time in. You won’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/what-i-ve-learned-is-that-if-you-really-want-to-be-successful-at/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [You could be beaten down by anybody and by everybody and it doesn't matter what everybody else thinks it's how you see yourself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/you-could-be-beaten-down-by-anybody-and-by-everybody-and-it-doesn-t/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [If you don't follow the stock market, you are missing some amazing drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/if-you-don-t-follow-the-stock-market-you-are-missing-some-amazing/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Leaders are not dogmatic. They are principled and know that change is never easy, but when it's necessary, they must lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/leaders-are-not-dogmatic-they-are-principled-and-know-that-change-is/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [If I see a black kid in a hoodie and it's late at night, I'm walking to the other side of the street. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/if-i-see-a-black-kid-in-a-hoodie-and-it-s-late-at-night-i-m-walking/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Every job in a company is important. Unless you experience a wide range of those jobs, I don't think you are as well prepared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/every-job-in-a-company-is-important-unless-you-experience-a-wide/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Go out there and get rich. Get so obnoxiously rich that when that tax bill comes, your first thought will be to choke on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/go-out-there-and-get-rich-get-so-obnoxiously-rich-that-when-that-tax/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) [Explore all 339 Mark Cuban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) ## More Broken quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. 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I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [My life was incoherent to me. I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/) [Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. 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