--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the most important thing that a…" description: "\"I think the most important thing that a company can do, not just in the customer space but the employee space, is to be completely open and completely ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/paul-saffo-10456_business_i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a_1594827.png" --- # I think the most important thing that a company can do… ![“I think the most important thing that a company can do, not just in the customer space but the employee space, is to be completely open and completely honest. Don't pretend that you're doing something that you can not do. There's an old saying in Silicon Valley, "It's not a bug. It's a feature."” quote by Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/paul-saffo-10456_business_i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a_1594827.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/paul-saffo-10456_business_i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a_1594827.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/paul-saffo-10456_business_i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a_1594827.png) > “I think the most important thing that a company can do, not just in the customer space but the employee space, is to be completely open and completely honest. Don't pretend that you're doing something that you can not do. There's an old saying in Silicon Valley, "It's not a bug. It's a feature."” [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Companies thrive on transparency and honesty with both customers and employees, avoiding deceptive pretenses. **In simple terms:** Be open and honest in business. Key Takeaway Practice radical transparency. Themes leadership ethics communication trust culture Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - customer service - HR policies - public relations - product development - crisis management Key Concepts Organizational honesty employee engagement Questions to Reflect On - What risks does total honesty pose? - How to maintain morale while being fully transparent? A Different Perspective Complete openness can expose vulnerabilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bug Feature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bug-feature-3834969/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Customer Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-space-6051516/) [Employee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/) [Employee Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee-space-6051517/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-thing/) [Old saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-saying/) [Silicon valley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silicon-valley/) [Think Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-important/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“The other problem is redundancy isn't a bug, it's a feature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rosenfelder/the-other-problem-is-redundancy-isn-t-a-bug-it-s-a-feature/) [Mark Rosenfelder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rosenfelder/) > [“As the old saying goes, when seconds count the police are just minutes away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/as-the-old-saying-goes-when-seconds-count-the-police-are-just-minutes/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [It's better to shake off superficial sometimes fake friends. There's a lot of truth in the old saying birds of a feather flock together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-better-to-shake-off-superficial-sometimes-fake-friends-there-s-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where are the cops when you need them? (Nick) Probably eating beignets. As the old saying goes, when seconds count, the police are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/where-are-the-cops-when-you-need-them-nick-probably-eating-beignets/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I mean come on. Do you know how easy it is to be famous these days? Do you have any idea? The web has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/i-mean-come-on-do-you-know-how-easy-it-is-to-be-famous-these-days-do/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [“You know the old saying: 'one riot, one Ranger.'" The saying stemmed from a legendary event in the past. A minor fief had risen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/you-know-the-old-saying-one-riot-one-ranger-the-saying-stemmed-from-a/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [“Echoing right-wing racist rhetoric, liberal organizations routinely smear "illegitimate," nonpacifist resistance as senseless and the work of irrational "thugs." And yet it is precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipu-s-tiger/echoing-right-wing-racist-rhetoric-liberal-organizations-routinely/) [Tipu's Tiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipu-s-tiger/) > [When will you Australians learn? In America we stopped using corporal punishment, and things have never been better! The streets are safe. Old people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-simpson/when-will-you-australians-learn-in-america-we-stopped-using-corporal/) [Homer Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-simpson/) > [My name is Nwori Joshua and I am the world's most sorrowful young man on earth and the world's biggest Jerk. I sought for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nwori-joshua/my-name-is-nwori-joshua-and-i-am-the-world-s-most-sorrowful-young-man/) [Nwori Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nwori-joshua/) > [There is an old saying which, from its truth, has become proverbial, that friendships should be immortal, enmities mortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livy/there-is-an-old-saying-which-from-its-truth-has-become-proverbial/) [Livy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livy/) > [There is an old saying: if a man comes home with sand in his cuffs and cockleburs in his pants, don't ask him what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-snead/there-is-an-old-saying-if-a-man-comes-home-with-sand-in-his-cuffs-and/) [Sam Snead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-snead/) > [Don't ever compare a girl to a bulldog. You may see the side you don't want to. Now if you compare her to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savannah-whalen/don-t-ever-compare-a-girl-to-a-bulldog-you-may-see-the-side-you-don-t/) [Savannah Whalen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savannah-whalen/) > [“There's the old saying "I felt bad because I didn't have a pair of shoes until I met a man who didn't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-the-old-saying-i-felt-bad-because-i-didn-t-have-a-pair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Go ahead. Ask me who the father is.” He only smiled. “Do I look that stupid to you?” She pushed back her short hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-palmer/go-ahead-ask-me-who-the-father-is-he-only-smiled-do-i-look-that/) [Diana Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-palmer/) > [The old saying is true: If you have only the Word, you dry up. If you have only the Spirit, you blow up. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-old-saying-is-true-if-you-have-only-the-word-you-dry-up-if-you/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) ## More by Paul Saffo > [I'm actually an optimist about what lies ahead. Are wikis reliable? It depends on the specific business. Is Wikipedia reliable? You bet. Wikipedia is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/i-m-actually-an-optimist-about-what-lies-ahead-are-wikis-reliable-it/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [The thing I see happening is that there's a real compression between generations. There used to be about 20 years difference (in technology use).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/the-thing-i-see-happening-is-that-there-s-a-real-compression-between/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [Never mistake a clearer view for a short distance just because the technology looks like it's about to arrive in the very near future.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/never-mistake-a-clearer-view-for-a-short-distance-just-because-the/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [The goal of forecasting is not to predict the future but to tell you what you need to know to take meaningful action in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/the-goal-of-forecasting-is-not-to-predict-the-future-but-to-tell-you/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [Though I carry enough electronics to get nervous in a lightning storm, I love paper and I always have a Moleskine journal with me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/though-i-carry-enough-electronics-to-get-nervous-in-a-lightning-storm/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [I'm not sure the notion of employee or job is going to survive the transition over the next couple of decades. The very notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/i-m-not-sure-the-notion-of-employee-or-job-is-going-to-survive-the/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [Every day huge amounts of information break off like icebergs and melt away. What worries me is that much information in electronic form is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/every-day-huge-amounts-of-information-break-off-like-icebergs-and/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [The value of a social network is defined not only by who's on it, but by who's excluded,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/the-value-of-a-social-network-is-defined-not-only-by-who-s-on-it-but/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [Using technology merely to lower operational costs amounts to standing on a whale fishing for minnows. It just allows you to do the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/using-technology-merely-to-lower-operational-costs-amounts-to/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [When I lived in Japan in the 1980s, I once was mistaken for Paul Newman, and I didn't have much more hair than I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/when-i-lived-in-japan-in-the-1980s-i-once-was-mistaken-for-paul/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [When everybody else is in a down market is focusing on what they're doing wrong, instead focus on what you should be doing differently,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/when-everybody-else-is-in-a-down-market-is-focusing-on-what-they-re/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [We do need to rethink privacy. I think we need to fall back on (former Supreme Court Justice) Felix Frankfurter's definition of privacy which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/we-do-need-to-rethink-privacy-i-think-we-need-to-fall-back-on-former/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [Each time you toss out a 'singing' greeting card, you are disposing of more computing power than existed in the entire world before 1950.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/each-time-you-toss-out-a-singing-greeting-card-you-are-disposing-of/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [I can't imagine how you can find the discipline to be emotionally detached reporting on a revolution, the winds of which are blowing right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/i-can-t-imagine-how-you-can-find-the-discipline-to-be-emotionally/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [I live on a canyon at the edge of San Mateo. We are fortunate to have lots of suburban wildlife as our neighbors, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/i-live-on-a-canyon-at-the-edge-of-san-mateo-we-are-fortunate-to-have/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) [Explore all 65 Paul Saffo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the most important thing that a company can do, not just in the customer space but the employee space, is to be completely open and completely honest. Don't pretend that you're doing something that you can not do. There's an old saying in Silicon Valley, \"It's not a bug. It's a feature.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Saffo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a-company-can-do-not-just-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a-company-can-do-not-just-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/paul-saffo-10456_business_i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a_1594827.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/paul-saffo-10456_business_i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a_1594827.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59d/paul-saffo-10456_business_i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a_1594827.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the most important thing that a company can do, not just in the customer space but the employee…” — Paul Saffo", "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": "Paul Saffo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the most important thing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a-company-can-do-not-just-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/i-think-the-most-important-thing-that-a-company-can-do-not-just-in/#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 } } ] } ```