The offer and demand

One of the most popular arguments that I'm given in all the years that I've met with people in the automotive industry, and what indicates the lack of leadership from most of them is the following: "It's because there is no demand for them."

This argument, while seductive, is not so relevant. As a matter of fact, how do we know what people desire if we don't present them a choice of options? Or, when the first automobiles appeared, do you think it's because people approached these pioneers and said: "We want automobiles!" No, actually, like their descendant Bill Ford recently said, people wanted faster horses...

Who told Chrysler that people wanted minivans in 1984? Nobody, since that type of vehicle didn't exist until then.

So, this kind of argument is to be handled with care.