If you are a PC user, there’s a chance you may never have
been in an Apple Store. I strongly recommend you take the time to visit one.
You will be amazed. You’ll think they were giving away products instead of
charging premium prices.
The design of the store and most of the products in it
reflect the vision of Steve Jobs, who with partner Stephen Wozinak, started the
company in his parent’s garage. Jobs died in 2011. The concept of a store to
sell computers and related products sounds simple enough, but it hasn’t worked
for anyone else. Remember the Gateway stores? Apple stores succeeded because of
the vision of Jobs.
I recommend the Walter Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs.
There’s no doubt Jobs was a genius, and like most geniuses, he also was a flawed person. He made many mistakes during his remarkable life,
both personally and professionally.
He was obsessive about quality and design. Good wasn’t good
enough. Even the parts you couldn’t see needed to be perfect. We have Jobs to
thank for the various versions of the Macintosh, iPad, iPhone and iTunes. The
first three changed the world of electronics and communications and iTunes
changed the music world.
He wasn’t a delight to work with or for. He could be vicious
with employees, vendors and friends. Just as with design and parts, good wasn’t
good enough, he wanted to work with only the best.
One snippet from the book illustrates both the problems in
working with Jobs and his humor. They were working on the problem of finding
the right glass for the iPhone and it was suggested he contact the CEO of
Corning Glass. He called the switchboard and got an assistant who said he would
pass along the message. Jobs bristled, “No, I’m Steve Jobs, put me through.”
The assistant refused and Jobs complained to a board member that it was
“typical East Coast bullshit.” When the Corning CEO heard about it he called
the Apple switchboard and asked to speak to Jobs. He was told to put his
request in writing and FAX it.
When that message go back to Jobs, he took a liking to the
CEO and invited him to visit Apple. And as a result, iPhones have Gorilla glass
from Corning.
The book is a great read full of glimpses into the creation
of many of the most innovative products of our time.
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