By the time of his death in October 2011, Steve Jobs had built Apple into the most valuable company in the world. Helping to transform several industries, he placed himself firmly in the pantheon of America’s great innovators. To Jobs, creating an enduring company was far harder and more important than making a great product.
Here are some of the factors underlying his success:
Focus
When Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy, in 1997, Jobs created four categories into which products would be placed. He told his team members to focus on only one product per category, and cancel the rest of the products. By getting Apple to focus on only four great products, he saved the company.
Simplify
The simplicity that comes from conquering complexity, rather than merely ignoring it, is what Jobs aimed for. He said, “It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.” During the design of the iPod interface he insisted on being able to reach his goal in three clicks.
Take End to End Responsibility
Jobs took responsibility for the user experience a customer would receive; from buying an iPhone in an Apple Store to its ongoing performance. His hard-driving personality and compulsion to take responsibility, led to astonishing products each offering a delightful user experience.
When Behind, Leapfrog
The mark of knowing how to leapfrog when behind marks out an innovative company. After the iPod became a huge success, Jobs knew that music players would be incorporated into phones. So, he created the iPhone which cannibalized iPod sales, and kept Apple ahead of its competition.
Put Products Before Profits
In the early 1980s when Jobs and his team designed the original Macintosh, they made a machine that was great, but it was too expensive. The cost led to Jobs’ ousting from Apple; ironically, the Macintosh accelerated the home computer revolution.
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Don’t be a Slave to Focus Groups
When one member of the Apple team asked Jobs whether they should do market research to see what customers wanted, Jobs replied, “No, because customers don’t know what they want until we’ve shown them.”
Bend Reality
Jobs had the ability to push people to do the impossible. This is because he felt that life’s ordinary rules did not apply to him. This ability was dubbed by his colleagues as his Reality Distortion Field.
Push for Perfection
At a certain point in the development of every product, Jobs hit the pause button and went back to the drawing board to make it perfect.
Tolerate only “A” Players
Jobs had a passion for working with the best and expecting the best from his people. He didn’t tolerate mediocrity.
Engage Face-to-Face
Jobs believed that great ideas could be generated between people only by meeting face-to-face. Hence, he avoided discussing ideas via e-mail or iChat.
Stay Hungry and Foolish
In Apple’s ads, Jobs proclaimed that he was still a hacker, a hippie and a child at heart. One of his “Think Different” ads stated, “…because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do”.
