EMPOWERED

CHAPTER 1Behind Every Great Company

In this book, I want to share and highlight the differences between how the best companies create technology‐powered products and how most companies create products.

The differences are both fundamental and striking.

The differences certainly include what many people think of as “product culture,” but strong product companies often have very different cultures from one another, so it clearly goes beyond that.

For example, consider Amazon, Google, Apple, and Netflix. I would argue all four are very strong product companies, having consistently innovated for many years, yet they each have very different cultures.

I still believe culture is extremely important, but there is something about great product companies that is more fundamental.

It comes down to the views they have on the role of technology, the purpose of the people who work on the technology, and how they expect these people to work together to solve problems.

Moreover, I don't think it's an accident that, despite their different cultures, these four companies have the most important elements in common.

What I will try to do in this book is untangle the parts of the cultures of these companies that are more a reflection of their founders' personalities from those that are essential to consistent innovation.

I want to share the important lessons I've learned regarding what separates the best from the rest.

One surprising common thread among many of the best product companies is the ...