Risto Siilasmaa > Quotes

“Deliver a winning user experience”: Without an explanation of why we hadn’t been able to do that so far, how we could change course, and why we would be able to do things differently in the future, this was just an item on a wish list.”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“Financials, however, are one of the worst indicators. Customer satisfaction, for instance, is much better. Customer perception of the difference in velocity between improvements in your competitiveness and improvements in your competitors’ competitiveness might have even more predictive power.”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“Logically, the argument to partner with Microsoft was very strong. Where the logic went wrong was that our analysis of the downside was not good enough. We simply hadn’t had enough practice as a board doing this kind of thing;”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“We emphasized that fully baked plans without alternatives were no longer acceptable; instead, we explained, we would rather have a selection of alternative half-baked plans. Then, management and the board could engage in a robust discussion about which direction to take.”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“you must always question your role and refuse to be bound by it. Act based on facts and current circumstances, not based on tradition. Use common sense and be pragmatic. As”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“I often think that in business, we all drive cars where the front windshield is a giant rearview mirror. There’s a small opening in that mirror through which we can look forward, but in general, we are so focused on the historical metrics that we have little ability or inclination to search for direct information on what lies ahead; we are satisfied with indirect information gained by extrapolating from past data.”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“I believe you can create your own luck. By doing the right things, you definitely shift the probability curve in your favor. Identify your alternative futures and exercise scenario-based thinking. Think about the everyday actions you can take to increase the likelihood that things will tilt your way and decrease the probability of a scenario in which there’s a negative outcome.”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming NOKIA: The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“Providing a good user experience meant increasing numbers of users. More users meant more buyers for third-party software, which meant strong revenues for the developers, making it attractive for more and more developers. More developers meant more apps, and more apps made the devices more attractive for users, leading to further growth in the ecosystem for all participants. Once the virtuous circle starts, it is very difficult for competitors to get it to turn in the other direction. Nokia could not compete.”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“Risk management does not mean minimizing risks; it means choosing which risks to take, with open eyes and in a deliberate, analytical fashion. The list of things you do is important, but the list of things you decide not to do is sometimes even more important.”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change

“Nokia was heading toward disaster; we know that now. However, it is often very difficult to see that in the boardroom. The higher you ascend in the hierarchy, the more removed you are from the action. The farther you are from the front lines, the more filters the information will go through before it reaches you, and the more likely it is that you will be the last to know what’s really happening.”
― Risto Siilasmaa, Transforming Nokia (PB): The Power of Paranoid Optimism to Lead Through Colossal Change