Apple Sauce 2: Success and Upgrade Fatigue
Posted September 6, 2012: In last week’s post, “Apple Sauce: Vanilla Ice’s Advice to Apple” we discussed Apple’s ability to remain a Game Changer in the absence of iconic rebel-leader, Steve Jobs who lead with ‘WHY’ and challenging the status quo. Today, we’re going to dive a little deeper into the organization, including an exclusive interview with a veteran Apple team member.
Success:
“When the rhetoric of success (“We’re successful because we do these specific things”) replaces penetrating understanding and insight (“We’re successful because we understand WHY we do these specific things and under what conditions they would no longer work”), decline will very likely follow.” –Jim Collins (How the Mighty Fall)
We must ask ourselves a question. Was Apple’s success driven by creating innovative products or something intangible that compelled people to join their tribe and buy their innovative products? In an interview with the Telegraph UK, Apple’s chief designer Sir Jonathan Ive (creator of the iPad and iPhone) said this; “Our goal and what gets us excited is to try to make great products. We trust that if we are successful people will like them, and if we are operationally competent we will make revenue, but we are very clear about our goal.” That statement does not echo ‘Think Different’ or challenging the status quo. (more…)