”If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said less horseshit.”
Whatever Henry Ford may or may not have said, there is no evidence he ever said anything about faster horses. And his contribution to human transportation is not about inventing cars (he didn’t) but about freezing the design of the Model T and adapting assembly lines to cars. This brought down prices significantly and brought cars to more people. His insistence on sticking with this strategy is what in the end made him lose most of Ford’s market share to General Motors. This was an example of his refusal to continuously test his vision against reality.
People didn’t want faster horses, they wanted ”better cars, with better financing options”.
When a smooth-talking advisor brings you the quote about faster horses to make their point, please do feel free to question it. And make time to have a conversation about whatever point they’re making. Because, like most quotes, it simplifies a problem space (which people love) and alludes to an air of wisdom (not always warranted), and can be either made up, misattributed or dangerously out of context.
Choose your quotes with care.