“It is better to underpromise and overdeliver than vice versa. For this one need not break the law of the land.” — Narayana Murthy, Infosys Co-founder
LiveMint’s quote for the day by Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of , is a cornerstone of corporate governance and professional ethics. It focuses on the relationship between credibility, performance, and integrity.
What does the quote mean?
At its heart, the quote is about managing expectations; underpromise and overdeliver the “Surprise and Delight” model. When you set a realistic, or slightly conservative, goal and then exceed it, you create a “positive delta” in the mind of the stakeholder. You build a reputation for reliability and high performance.
However, overpromising and underdelivering is the fastest way to erode trust. Even if you work incredibly hard, failing to meet a self-imposed high bar makes you appear incompetent or dishonest.
The second part of the quote — “For this one need not break the law of the land” – emphasises that excellence is achievable through discipline and hard work. You do not need to cut corners, lie to clients, or bypass regulations to “beat the numbers.”
How does it help young professionals?
For those early in their careers, this philosophy acts as a blueprint for building a “professional brand.”
In a fast-paced , managers value predictability. If you consistently meet or exceed the deadlines you set, you become the “go-to” person for critical projects. You aren’t just seen as someone who works hard; you are seen as someone whose word is gold.
Young professionals often feel the need to say “Yes” to every request or promise a 24-hour turnaround to impress their bosses. However, Murthy advises that instead of saying “I’ll have it by EOD” and missing it, say “I can get this to you by tomorrow noon.” If you deliver it by EOD today, you have successfully overdelivered.
Shortcuts, the “breaking the law” part of the quote, might provide a temporary boost in performance metrics, but they create “career debt.” Whether it’s misrepresenting data in a report or exaggerating project outcomes, these lapses eventually catch up.
Murthy’s point is that sustainable success is built on a foundation of legal and ethical compliance.
This quote is essentially a lesson in communication. It teaches you to analyse your capacity before committing and communicate risks early, and to keep a “buffer” for unforeseen challenges.
Risk of underpromising too much
While this strategy is powerful, it has a modern caveat: Don’t underpromise so much that you look uninspired.
In a competitive landscape, if you promise the bare minimum, you might be perceived as lacking ambition. The goal is to promise “high-quality realism” and then deliver “exceptional excellence”.
Excellence is not an act of rebellion against the rules; it is a result of mastering the rules while managing the perceptions of those around you.
Where does the quote come from?
This quote is a foundational part of the “Infosys Value System” developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The quote is prominently cited in the book Entrepreneur of the New Millennium: N.R. Narayana Murthy (2003), which documented the principles that led to Infosys’s rapid global expansion.
He frequently used this phrasing during the late 90s when defending why Infosys was “boring” but “reliable.” During the dot-com bubble, while other tech companies were making wild growth promises, Murthy insisted on the discipline of underpromising.
The second part of the quote (“…this one need not break the law of the land”) was his direct response to the “license raj” era in India and the global accounting scandals (like Enron) of the early 2000s. He wanted to prove that an Indian company could be globally successful while being 100% legally compliant.
Who is Narayana Murthy?
N R Narayana Murthy is the co-founder and former Chairman of Infosys, one of India’s largest multinational IT services companies. He is widely regarded as the “Father of the Indian IT Sector” for his role in putting India on the global map for software outsourcing.
Beyond business, Murthy is known for pioneering Corporate Governance in India. He was instrumental in making Infosys the first Indian company to list on the NASDAQ (in 1999) and was a vocal advocate for transparency, ethics, and “compassionate capitalism.”
He is also the father-in-law of former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
