We have a lot of existing customers which are also considering Linux desktop migrations and rolling out some of these programs so we're learning from them.

Learning to see waste and systematically eliminate it has allowed lean companies such as Toyota to dominate entire industries. Lean thinking defines value as 'providing benefit to the customer' anything else is waste.

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.

Many corporate leaders and employees have the right intentions but it can be overwhelming when you consider how everything is affected from leadership styles to organizational structure to employee engagement to customer service an marketplace.

I do believe states' rights was a sound doctrine that got hijacked by some unsavory customers for a while - like 150 years or so. I'm professionally obliged to believe that knowledge is better than ignorance but some kinds of forgetting are OK with me.

A lot of companies have chosen to downsize and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers they would continue to open their wallets.

Customers don't know what they want. There's plenty of good psychology research that shows that people are not able to accurately predict how they would behave in the future. So asking them 'Would you buy my product if it had these three features?' or 'How would you react if we changed our product this way?' is a waste of time. They don't know.

In fact I believe the first companies that make an effort to develop an authentic transparent and meaningful social contract with their fans and customers will turn out to be the ones that are the most successful in the future. While brands that refuse to make the effort will lose stature and customer loyalty.

Customers want good value but they care more than ever how food and clothing products are made.

Did you ever see the customers in health - food stores? They are pale skinny people who look half - dead. In a steak house you see robust ruddy people. They're dying of course but they look terrific.