Steve Jobs — 10 Take-away Points for Business

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography
Walter Isaacson

The biography of Steve Jobs offers enormous amounts of insights into business and entrepreneurship. Surprisingly enough, these are not, per se, covered in the curricula of your typical business schools. One would ponder why that is. After all, as of few days ago, Steve Jobs built the most valuable business in the world. That is not to say that business schools do not honour his achievements (for the most part they do), but somehow they rather inconspicuously seem to use him for their own ends i.e., exemplify what they already lecture. So here are my ten take-away points from Steve Jobs’ biography that as obvious as they may appear are not what you will usually hear in a typical marketing class. There is a little bit of strategy, a little bit of vision, but, as you might have imagined, mostly it is all about the product.

1. Push for uncompromised simplicity in product design.
2. Release the product only when you are perfectly happy with it.
3. Aim to build an organisation that will outlive you.
4. Make products that you and your friends would love to use.
5. Employ only “A-players”.
6. In a product’s design emphasize the most important feature.
7. Focus on the features that make a real difference for the customer.
8. Make your “insanely great” products affordable.
9. Control the complete customer experience.
10. Use one product to drive the sales of others.

AMAZON: Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Exegi monumentum aere perennius

Non omnis moriar

The news of yesterday’s passing of Steve Jobs still echo in my head. What a remarkable man! His company sold millions of gadgets worldwide yet... that’s not what really made him extraordinary. To me, rather, it were his unshakable beliefs and unfading spirit. For one thing, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing now had it not been for his words of wisdom (“It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy” or “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”). Monumentum aere exegi perennius, Steve Jobs.

A few words about the iPad

With the world buzzing about the iPad launch I couldn't help but to drop a few lines about Apple’s latest marketing proposition as well.

When the iPad was first unveiled a lot of people where asking: what is this device actually for? To be honest I don’t understand what is getting all the people so confused.

First, Apple done a very good job when they said at the outset that iPad was neither a smartphone nor a laptop. This was a brilliant move because straddling would most likely not lead to the product being viewed as a legitimate player in either category.

Second, there is a very powerful consumer goal that the iPad satisfies, namely, casual use of the web and media. Yes, casual - a lot of people seem to overlook that there is a growing crowd out there that doesn’t use computers for work, but for communication and entertainment. The iPad finally gives those folks a way to do this comfortably rather than being confined to maladroit desk- and/or laptops. And with the snowballing use of the Internet in our daily lives I can only imagine this group of people become larger and larger over time, making way for a good source of revenue for tech companies in the years to come.

With the iPad mystery put to rest, I am now a lot more interested to see how the competition (Google, MS) is going to respond!

Mac, Mac, Mac!

Just came across this quote by NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. I totally love the cockiness behind it and just had to share it:

Apple uses the best technology for their [computers]. Apple says to their customers: if you buy a computer from us you can be sure we have selected the best technology inside for you. That is their promise to consumers. Their promise to consumers isn't we've selected the best technology for you with the exception of what Intel allows us to use. That's not their promise. And that's why Apple uses the best technology where they want whenever they want. And that's why I'm all Apple! At home it's just Macs everywhere. It's NVIDIA's technology in all of them but I use Macs. My son has two Macs, my daughter has a Mac, there's an extra Mac just in case and my wife has a Mac. It's just Mac, Mac, Mac! Because I know it's got the best stuff inside.*

Aside of the cockiness, this is such a powerful statement about the Apple's marketing. What Mr. Huang is saying is that Apple simply provide the consumer with the best solution possible with no compromises made. Consequently, Apple simplify the decision making process for consumers by removing the issue of hardware from their considerations. This is so crucial because most consumers will not be proficient enough to make these considerations themselves. As a result, Apple provide consumers with what they really want - a computing platform tailored to their needs. Doing this naturally creates an impression that Apple respect their customers. And this is the approach to business that I respect the most.

⌘X ⌘C ⌘V

Today we got the new iPhone 3.0 firmware. The new features are really helpful, the phone's usability being improved substantially. My favourites are: the landscape keyboard, notes sync, and the spotlight search.

Now the update is here, it makes me wonder what will the next generation of the software look like? It seems that with every update the iPhone OS more and more resembles desktop operating systems. Well, time will tell.

In related news, we are launching the iPhone 3G the 'S' this Friday and I will be working on Regent Street. Wonder how crazy is it going to be? Should be fun anyway.

Apple brings copy and paste to the iPhone

In UNrelated news

Meanwhile, in unrelated news I'm preparing (or at least I wish I was) for the GMAT test. For those who don't know, it is a test to get onto an MBA programme. It is difficult, mainly because the questions are VERY tricky.

Why I am doing this? Yes, you guessed it, I am applying for an MBA! I chose Rotterdam School of Management, one of the most reputable business schools on the Continent and hope they will reciprocate and choose me. The GMAT is the final step in getting my application ready and so I am really looking forward to having it done. The requirement is a minimum of 600 out of 800 points, which seems reasonable, especially when looking at the requirements of some American schools - usually in high 700s! Hold your horses though, I have seen quite a bunch of really intelligent people getting it wrong for the first time. Anyway, the test is going to take place on Tuesday and then all will be clear; now, I'm going to sleep.

iPhone OS 3.0

Just read the news about the new version of the iPhone OS - 3.0! This is so exciting that I just had to put this info over here!

The official artwork looking promising.

I am wondering, what sort of improvements will Apple's engineers add to this iteration? I am sure some of you already heard about the crazy iPhone OS omissions, such as the lack of copy & paste, video recording, text message forwarding and perhaps the lack of integrated inbox for all e-mail accounts. Are these issues finally going to be fixed? Time will tell but from the marketing point of view it would certainly not make sense for Apple to withhold from implementing these improvements. Not anymore.

Now, such additions are certainly going to get people talking. Sales are likely to go up. But these changes will not make the iPhone look much cooler. And in the end, this is what Apple want. With competitors stepping up to the challenge every day, it seems like being ‘the best iPod ever’ is no longer a guarantee for success.

What can we expect then? It is likely that there will be some major new features introduced. I cannot offer any specifics, but if it was me to lead Apple I probably would get into gaming with the device. Apple could potentially bring some game developers on board to work almost in-house on some new titles. This has already been done with Sega and their game Super Monkey Ball. The other area would definitely be business. Here I would probably introduce some sort of integration with iWork – the productivity suite by Apple.

These are my own thoughts only. No insider knowledge, or anything of that kind. All said from a perspective of a business student and a gadget enthusiast.

March 17th is when cards will be reviled.

Peace.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

I remember the day I bought my iPod, it was the 30GB 5th generation video one. I was so excited. I couldn’t wait and went out to the nearby electronics shop during lunch break at work to get it – I couldn’t wait until after I finished. When I finally got the shiny little thing I just could not stop playing with it. I mean I was a music addict already, but it played video as well!

The same week I kept wondering, what will the next iPod look like? Speaking with one IT engineer at work we concluded that it would probably have a touch screen, just like the phone that this engineer had. The PHONE you idiot! We were close, yet we didn’t get it. Anyway, that was three years and one month ago. Today, ladies and gentleman, I got the iPhone!

But why?

I wanted to buy the Phone-of-the-i for a as long as the general public has known about it. The unbeatable functionality (let’s face it, one and a half years after the launch and there is still not a device in this world to beat the iPhone’s user interface) combined with incredible looks was what I have longed for in a mobile device for as long as I can remember. I was tired of having phones that could do this, but could not do that etc. I wanted an all in one device. Most of all, however, I wanted the access to information whenever and wherever I needed it. The fact is that living in a huge city like London is stressful enough by itself and the iPhone, with maps, internet browser, e-mail and up-to-date weather forecast among others, pretty much solves a lot of logistic problems, more so, it does it better than its rivals.

Happy iPhone owner

Luxury item

Whatever rational justifications I have given it, the fact remains that the iPhone is a luxury item, an item that I can perfectly live without. And this single argument was probably the most important reason why I had waited for so long to get it. What made me change my mind then? It was The Big Boss himself – Apple CEO and founder, Steve Jobs.

Stanford speech

In 2005 Steve Jobs delivered a commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University. In this speech Mr. Jobs tells three stories from his life giving an incredibly inspirational message to the audience. Among many very interesting points he makes, a somewhat dramatic remark struck me the most. He said that “remembering that you were going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to loose” and “there is no reason not to follow your heart” in what you do in life. He concluded his speech with the words – “stay hungry, stay foolish”.

After watching the video I thought to myself – wow! I want to test this thing! I am going to do this! I will wake up each day and try something new, something I have not done before! Yes, EACH SINGLE DAY!

So one day, I came back from work and suddenly this idea struck me – why the hell don’t I get an iPhone? Go for it, I said to myself. It wasn’t that easy, though. I kept reminding myself – you cannot afford it, you need to save money. Then I realised that the more rational arguments I was making the more foolish the decision was becoming. BINGO! I made it! Ramming through the final bits of hesitation I rushed to my Apple Store and bought the phone. I was foolish and so happy.

The lesson

What this whole thing taught me was the same idea that “I shouldn’t have club” embraces (see one of the posts below). It is the idea of going for it, the idea of getting up, jumping out of a helicopter and diving through the sky! Well, yes, buying an iPhone wasn’t exactly as risky but there was a financial component that made it a bit unsafe. Going through that barrier made me much more confidant, and now, I feel much more secure with a lot of other, much smaller decisions that I make. As a result, my life is better now, not just because I can find my way around London easier or because I know the weather for the next couple of hours. It is better because now I know that whether it rains or snows, whether I can’t find the place I have been looking for or I am completely lost, I will handle it and will make it through! I know I will!!!

Thank you Apple.

Enriching Lives

Just got back from my first day at Apple Regent Store! Many things were said, many things happened and one thing is for sure - there is nothing like working for Apple! The company's culture, the climate, the atmosphere - whatever you call it - is simply amazing! Really, I can hardly express what a great company it is to work for!

First day at work

Today was the first of the four-and-a-half-day training programme. During the seminars that I, along with twelve fellow successful applicants, have participated in, we learnt mainly about Apple culture and Apple Retail history. We also learnt about Apple products and services. This was lot of fun, but we learnt more than that. We learnt how to enrich the lives of our customers.

It may sound quirky and a bit like a brain wash of sorts, but the message delivered by our manager was extremely powerful: our job description was enriching lives. This is so vital because his job was to enrich our lives! Now, it may sound like a little thing, but to me this was HUGE! Why? Taking a bit simplistic approach, this means that not only I can earn a living but also learn and make others happy at the same time! Or to put it another way round – I get paid for learning and making others happy! How cool is that!!!?

Instant connection

I must say, one of the things that captured my mind for a good while during the seminars was how instantly everybody got connected with each other. It was incredible – everybody who I spoke to was smiling and was so eager to hear what I had to say. I myself felt in the very same way – wanted to hear as much as I could about the others. I was overwhelmed by how much we had in common. As a matter of fact, I am even more overwhelmed now, as I realise that at first glance there was absolutely nothing that one would think connected us! With regard to this, perhaps, a great lesson that I have learnt today was what our manager told us during the session:

“You don’t know anything about anybody, until you had a conversation with them”.

This is so spot on.

A biologist in the forest

I would love to share more with you, but I won’t as I am now bound by the company’s non-disclosure agreement. Indeed, as a Business Management student I could talk for hours about the things I saw and experienced today. After all, I am in my own habitat. I feel like a biologist in the forest – I can examine and inspect, learn and discover almost indefinitely! Actually, I think I made one discovery already. It is that dreams really do COME TRUE!

Part Time Job

Just got a phone call from Apple in London. It has been well over a month since I had my first interview and exactly a week since my second interview for the Specialist Position at their flagship Regent Store. I applied for at least 15 other jobs, all with little to no success. Now I think it must have been that way because working at Apple was my dream for a very long time. Well, dreams come true! I am starting sometime in the end of the month at Apple’s largest store worldwide! I am so happy!

Apple Regent Store's information website, as seen on my MacBook

So far I have been thinking about this opportunity as a ground breaking achievement. I think it certainly will be. But sadly, I will have to keep a lot of it to myself, as Apple requires all their employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Anyway, I am so happy!!!