---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even back in the command-and-control days…"
description: "\"“Even back in the command-and-control days of the production line, Henry Ford’s decision to manufacture automobiles was driven by intuition rather than..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marty-neumeier-21400_ford_even-back-in-the-command-and-control-day_1521635.png"
---

#  Even back in the command-and-control days of the…

![“Even back in the command-and-control days of the production line, Henry Ford’s decision to manufacture automobiles was driven by intuition rather than market research. “If we had asked the public what they wanted,” he explained, “they would have said ‘faster horses.” quote by Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marty-neumeier-21400_ford_even-back-in-the-command-and-control-day_1521635.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marty-neumeier-21400_ford_even-back-in-the-command-and-control-day_1521635.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marty-neumeier-21400_ford_even-back-in-the-command-and-control-day_1521635.png)

> ““Even back in the command-and-control days of the production line, Henry Ford’s decision to manufacture automobiles was driven by intuition rather than market research. “If we had asked the public what they wanted,” he explained, “they would have said ‘faster horses.””

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ford relied on intuition over market surveys, leading to innovative products that customers hadn’t imagined.

**In simple terms:** Intuition can drive breakthrough ideas beyond data.

Key Takeaway

Balance intuition with data when innovating.

Themes

innovation intuition market disruption

Mood

analytical creative

Type

strategic philosophical

When to use this quote

- product development
- entrepreneurship
- branding
- technology adoption

Key Concepts

design thinking creative leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- When should you trust gut over data?
- How can you test intuitive ideas quickly?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on intuition may ignore real needs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Automobiles Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobiles-driven-5624790/) [Driven Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven-intuition-5624789/) [Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ford/) [Ford Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ford-decision-1319454/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/henry-ford/) [Market research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/market-research/)

## Related quotes

> [When I arrived in Ford, a decision was made to sell many marquee brands. This was because 85 per cent of the sales were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-mulally/when-i-arrived-in-ford-a-decision-was-made-to-sell-many-marquee/)

[Alan Mulally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-mulally/)

> [“Apple also stopped depending on market research and surveys. “If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted,” Jobs quoted Henry Ford, “they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukari-iwatani-kane/apple-also-stopped-depending-on-market-research-and-surveys-if-i-d/)

[Yukari Iwatani Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukari-iwatani-kane/)

> [“Some people say, "Give the customers what they want." But that's not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/some-people-say-give-the-customers-what-they-want-but-that-s-not-my/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right ― Henry Ford”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whether-you-think-you-can-or-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-henry/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Henry Ford achieved the highest throughput per worker of any car manufacturing company of his time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliyahu-m-goldratt/henry-ford-achieved-the-highest-throughput-per-worker-of-any-car/)

[Eliyahu M. Goldratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliyahu-m-goldratt/)

> [“Musk’s vision, and, of late, execution seem to combine the best of Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller. With”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/musk-s-vision-and-of-late-execution-seem-to-combine-the-best-of-henry/)

[Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/)

> [Steve Jobs was the greatest manufacturer of consumer products of his age. His marketing vision put him on par with Henry Ford, and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/steve-jobs-was-the-greatest-manufacturer-of-consumer-products-of-his/)

[Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/)

> [When Henry Ford said, "The customer can have a car in any color as long as it's black," he was not joking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/when-henry-ford-said-the-customer-can-have-a-car-in-any-color-as-long/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

> [“It is a well-known fact that Henry Ford began his business career under the handicap of poverty, illiteracy, and ignorance. It is an equally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/it-is-a-well-known-fact-that-henry-ford-began-his-business-career/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [“FORD SAID, "I'LL BELT THE EARTH WITH DEPENDABLE MOTOR CARS," AND HE DID! His decision to trust his own judgment has already piled up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/ford-said-i-ll-belt-the-earth-with-dependable-motor-cars-and-he-did/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [“Henry Ford once said that whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. There”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-foskett/henry-ford-once-said-that-whether-you-think-you-can-or-you-think-you/)

[Keith Foskett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-foskett/)

> [We've always loved the automobile, and we all love Henry Ford's original vision to open the highways to all mankind, the freedom and movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-mulally/we-ve-always-loved-the-automobile-and-we-all-love-henry-ford-s/)

[Alan Mulally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-mulally/)

> [“If you think you can do it, or you think you can’t do it, you are right. Henry Ford”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/if-you-think-you-can-do-it-or-you-think-you-can-t-do-it-you-are-right/)

[Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/)

> [“As I rode back to Detroit, a vision of Henry Ford's industrial empire kept passing before my eyes. In my ears, I heard the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/as-i-rode-back-to-detroit-a-vision-of-henry-ford-s-industrial-empire/)

[Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/)

> [I was at Ford for 32 years. I went to Chrysler in 1978, four or five months after I got canned by Henry Ford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/i-was-at-ford-for-32-years-i-went-to-chrysler-in-1978-four-or-five/)

[Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/)

## More by Marty Neumeier

> [The best design tool is a long eraser with a pencil at one end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/the-best-design-tool-is-a-long-eraser-with-a-pencil-at-one-end/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [Brand is not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/brand-is-not-what-you-say-it-is-it-s-what-they-say-it-is/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [You can't be a leader by following a leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/you-can-t-be-a-leader-by-following-a-leader/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service or organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/a-brand-is-a-person-s-gut-feeling-about-a-product-service-or/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [“Sift through threats for hidden possibilities. Every threat carries with it the potential for innovation. The problem of obesity contains the possibility of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/sift-through-threats-for-hidden-possibilities-every-threat-carries/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [Cultures are naturally resistant to change. The same shared mental models that allow large numbers of people to work together efficiently can also keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/cultures-are-naturally-resistant-to-change-the-same-shared-mental/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [A brand is a person's perception. Of course, it makes marketers nervous to think that marketing is out of their control, but that's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/a-brand-is-a-person-s-perception-of-course-it-makes-marketers-nervous/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [“Make a sketch, construct a model, or assemble a prototype. Then another. And another. With each attempt, you’ll reveal new possibilities for innovation. Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/make-a-sketch-construct-a-model-or-assemble-a-prototype-then-another/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [“Creativity is the discipline you use when you don’t know the answers, when you’re traveling to parts unknown. On this type of journey, missteps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/creativity-is-the-discipline-you-use-when-you-don-t-know-the-answers/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [I see "demand creation" as a 20th-century construct that's bound up with advertising. It's an outmoded view of marketing that says, "First, we build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/i-see-demand-creation-as-a-20th-century-construct-that-s-bound-up/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [To achieve originality we need to abandon the comforts of habit, reason, and the approval of our peers, and strike out in new directions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/to-achieve-originality-we-need-to-abandon-the-comforts-of-habit/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [“The cave you fear to enter, goes the ancient proverb, holds the treasure you seek.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/the-cave-you-fear-to-enter-goes-the-ancient-proverb-holds-the/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [Convincing isn't really possible in an age of customer control. Customers hold most of the cards today. They have good visibility into their choices,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/convincing-isn-t-really-possible-in-an-age-of-customer-control/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [The most innovative designers consciously reject the standard option box and cultivate an appetite for thinking wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/the-most-innovative-designers-consciously-reject-the-standard-option/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

> [Designers don't actually solve problems. They work through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/designers-don-t-actually-solve-problems-they-work-through-them/)

[Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

[Explore all 29 Marty Neumeier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/)

## More Ford quotes

> [There may be little practical difference between a Ford Mondeo and a BMW three series, but in terms of perceptions of who you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/there-may-be-little-practical-difference-between-a-ford-mondeo-and-a/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [My favourite designers always create a strong silhouette, like McQueen and Tom Ford and Alaia. I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/)

[Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/)

> [Harrison Ford has always been one of my favorite actors. I grew up with Han Solo and Indiana Jones, and 'Regarding Henry' is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-north/harrison-ford-has-always-been-one-of-my-favorite-actors-i-grew-up/)

[Nolan North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-north/)

> [“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right ― Henry Ford”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whether-you-think-you-can-or-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-henry/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I didn't understand anything about fracking or horizontal drilling until about 2010, when I first learned about the Eagle Ford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porter-stansberry/i-didn-t-understand-anything-about-fracking-or-horizontal-drilling/)

[Porter Stansberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porter-stansberry/)

> [I didn't even have a portfolio, but I went to Tom Ford the next morning. He said, "I'd love you to come in with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-costa/i-didn-t-even-have-a-portfolio-but-i-went-to-tom-ford-the-next/)

[Francisco Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-costa/)

> [President Ford used humor a great deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/president-ford-used-humor-a-great-deal/)

[Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/)

> [I did this one movie with a great director named Wayne Kramer. It was 'Crossing Over,' and Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chon/i-did-this-one-movie-with-a-great-director-named-wayne-kramer-it-was/)

[Justin Chon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chon/)

> [“Once upon a time, he'd believed that his music, his guitar, and his songs were everything he needed. But tonight, as his tour bus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-andre/once-upon-a-time-he-d-believed-that-his-music-his-guitar-and-his/)

[Bella Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-andre/)

> [It's called 'Night Moves,' and it's my favorite 'Doc Ford' of all times. It's way too complicated, but it worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-wayne-white/it-s-called-night-moves-and-it-s-my-favorite-doc-ford-of-all-times-it/)

[Randy Wayne White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-wayne-white/)

> [When I turned 16, I got my driver's license like the rest of my classmates, but I also got an extra present: a two-day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kimball/when-i-turned-16-i-got-my-driver-s-license-like-the-rest-of-my/)

[Charlie Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kimball/)

> [When I joined Ford, in the late 1970s, I felt strongly we could not forever be a huge user of natural resources without there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-joined-ford-in-the-late-1970s-i-felt-strongly-we-could-not/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/if-you-think-you-can-you-can-and-if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [“We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need? -Lee Iacocca, former chairman, Ford Motor Company”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-price/we-ve-got-to-pause-and-ask-ourselves-how-much-clean-air-do-we-need/)

[Steven D. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-price/)

> [I have three makeup brands that I couldn't live without - Tom Ford, Nars and Laura Mercier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-lowe/i-have-three-makeup-brands-that-i-couldn-t-live-without-tom-ford-nars/)

[Daisy Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-lowe/)

[Browse all 296 Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ford/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Even back in the command-and-control days of the production line, Henry Ford’s decision to manufacture automobiles was driven by intuition rather than market research. “If we had asked the public what they wanted,” he explained, “they would have said ‘faster horses.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marty Neumeier"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/even-back-in-the-command-and-control-days-of-the-production-line/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ford"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/even-back-in-the-command-and-control-days-of-the-production-line/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marty-neumeier-21400_ford_even-back-in-the-command-and-control-day_1521635.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marty-neumeier-21400_ford_even-back-in-the-command-and-control-day_1521635.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marty-neumeier-21400_ford_even-back-in-the-command-and-control-day_1521635.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Even back in the command-and-control days of the production line, Henry Ford’s decision to manufacture…” — Marty Neumeier",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Marty Neumeier",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Even back in the command-and-control days...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/even-back-in-the-command-and-control-days-of-the-production-line/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/even-back-in-the-command-and-control-days-of-the-production-line/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
