For the better part of a decade, I worked for a large technology company based in the greater Boston area.  When I joined in 1998, it was already a good size organization (~6,000 employees) with most of the power and influence being wielded out of two areas – Product Development (aka Engineering) and Sales.

The company was, first and foremost, a product company.  In large measure, we made great products and had a hell of a sales team that could close deals.   The road to product leadership had been paved primarily by a breakthrough product family that was a game changer and revolutionized the industry.  And the master mind behind that product line was revered like a god.  And rightly so, his design was instrumental in our ability to topple some of the world’s technology giants in the industry.

But… you can become too focused on how great your product is… In fact, I can remember being at a company “all-hands” meeting at which ‘said’ god was speaking.  He had just been named a fellow of the company and was giving a brief speech.  As he was finishing up, he raised his fist in the air (kind of pumped it) and said “it’s the product, stupid.”

What the hell does that mean?  I didn’t get it.  None of us (my contemporaries anyway) got it.  We just looked at each other with an “is-that-an-in-joke-that-none-of-us-are-in-on?” look.  Over the next couple days, we went looking for the reference… Clearly this had some meaning somewhere.  And it did.

We discovered that it had been a phrase used historically, in a “tongue-in-cheek” kind of way to explain why the company was so successful.  “It’s the product, stupid!”  How could you even ask the question… you idiot?!!  Ha ha ok I get it now.

At the time, I just found it lame… But upon some reflection, it really started to annoy me. (editorial note: I don’t believe there was any intent to offend anyone or even to be overly provocative… but it really got me thinking)

“It’s the product, stupid.”

“It’s the product, stupid.”

What about “the people?” What about you and me and everyone else?  Don’t we have something to do with the success of the company?

Don’t we have ideas that lead to new opportunities, initiatives, markets?  Don’t we conceive of products, design them, build them?  Don’t we market them, sell them, deliver them, and support them?…Heck — isn’t it people who BUY your products?

If your focus isn’t on people, how do you get anything right?

It’s the people, stupid.

<this event marked the beginning of my gradual shift toward a specialty in organizational leadership and change>