There are few people in the world of technology that have been more associated with innovation than Steve Jobs; American entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple. Steve started his small business in his parents’ house and pioneered the development of the first personal computer for every day use. From 1997 to 2007, he reinvented 4 industries – computing, music, telecommunications and entertainment and in 2010 was named CEO of the Decade by Fortune magazine.
Business owners and budding entrepreneurs are keen to know more about the keys to his success. Below are 7 Key Business Principles largely responsible for his success.
Principle 1: Do what you love
Steve Jobs told Stanford University’s graduating class in 2005 that the secret to success is following your heart and intuition. Jobs followed his heart throughout his career and it’s this passion that drove him throughout his life.
Jobs was once quoted as saying “Just get any job until you find something you’re really passionate about… what separates entrepreneurs who succeed from those who don’t is pure perseverance”. Unless you have passion for your business you’re unlikely to survive. It’s the passion that will sustain you when all else seems lost.
So how do you find your passion? Passions are the hopes, dreams and possibilities that consume your thoughts and don’t leave you alone, so follow these dreams.
Principle 2: Put a dent in the universe
Steve Jobs embraced the power of vision to move Apple forward and turn his ideas into world-changing innovations. Jobs’ vision was to “put a computer in the hands of everyday people”. His dream captured the 4 key components that all inspiring and successful visions share – it was bold, specific, concise and consistently communicated.
In 1979, while on a tour of the Xerox facility in California, Jobs saw a new technology which allowed users to interact with their computer via colourful graphical icons, rather than having to enter complex line commands (either memorized or copied from a huge user manual). These coloured icons were called “graphical user interface”. Jobs recognized the power of this tiny icon to achieve his vision.
Jobs returned and refocused his Apple team on building a personal computer that would change the way we (non-geeks) interact with computers. He commented that Xerox could have dominated the computer industry but instead focused on building another copier. Innovation doesn’t happen without bold vision.
At the time, Jobs’ vision was considered utterly ludicrous. If he had listened to the market leaders in computer development (IBM and DEC) the world may be a very different place.
“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” Thomas Watson, president of IBM, 1943 What vision do you have for your company?
Principle 3: Kick start your brain
Creativity leads to innovative.
For Steve Jobs, creativity was connecting things. Revolutionary and breakthrough innovations require creativity, and creativity requires that you think differently and “outside the box”. Scientists have discovered that whilst innovators like Jobs think differently, they use a technique that is available to all of us — they seek out diverse experiences.
Jobs spent a lifetime exploring new and unrelated experiences – studying the art of calligraphy, meditating in an Indian ashram, studying the finer details of a Mercedes-Benz or European-made washer dryers for product ideas and evaluating The Four Seasons Hotel chain to help shape his customer service model.
The name Apple literally fell from a tree. Upon returning from an apple orchard, Jobs said to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak “I’ve come up with the name for our company – Apple”. His justification was that he thought the name sounded“fun, spirited and not intimidating.”Jobs could have gone with a clever, technical-sounding name but his vision was to make computers more approachable to everyday people and the humble apple was the prefect symbol of that ideal.
Principle 4: Sell dreams, not products
Jobs didn’t rely on focus groups to test his product ideas. In fact, he avoided them because he believed that most customers don’t know what they want from a new product because they did not know what was possible. Jobs used his knowledge of his customers, his passion for innovation and his dreams of what was possible to develop new products such as the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and the Apple store experience.
Upon his return to Apple in 1997, he was faced with Apple’s uncertain future and their serious financial problems. So Jobs went about re-setting the tone for the resurgence of Apple. He stated that “You have to think differently to buy an Apple computer, I believe the people who buy them do think differently, they are the creative spirits of this world, the people who are out to change the world”. His philosophy was to listen to Apple’s customers and ask for feedback, but when it came to breakthrough ideas and technology the team at Apple were his key focus group. Jobs believed that you can’t ask your customers “what’s the next big thing”, because they don’t know.
People care about their dreams and their goals. They don’t care about your business objectives. A successful business helps their customers achieve their personal aspirations and goals and in doing so realise their own.
Principle 5: Say no to 1,000 things
The secret to good innovation is saying no to the 1,000 things that don’t support or advance your purpose. Apple is as proud of what they don’t pursue as what they do. They are committed to offering simple, uncluttered, innovative design and they say no to anything that does not align with this commitment. This philosophy has allowed them to launch a continuous stream of products that amaze customers with their elegance and simplicity.
The manifestation of this philosophy is the MacBook laptop; Launched in 2008 it eliminated 60% of the computer’s structural parts. The new aluminium outer case, reduced the number of parts so that the computer could be much thinner. Amazingly, eliminating those parts actually made the computer more robust and stronger. Saying no more often than yes means you don’t spread yourself too thinly and this helps to keep you focused.
Principle 6: Create insanely great experiences
The Apple store is known for its’ superb gold standard customer service. It has become the world’s best retailer by introducing simple innovations to create a deeper emotional connection between the Apple brand and its’ customers.
Apple created their retail customer service based on the Four Seasons Hotel model – a company with superb customer service. Apple offers their customers a concierge-like experience; similar to the welcome you’d receive in an elegant hotel. There are no cashiers, just experts, consultants and geniuses offering to help you with your specific problem. The result was the Genius Bar, which allows customers 10 minutes with an Apple expert for assistance any area of difficulty with their product, for free.
The lesson here is, don’t move the product, rather enrich your customers’ lives and watch your sales soar through the roof. Consider each of your customer touch points with your products and brand and take these opportunities to create meaningful relationships that leave a lasting impression.
Principle 7: Master the message
Even with the most innovative, clever idea in the world, if you can’t get people excited and interested, it won’t succeed. For every idea that turns into a huge success, there are thousands that don’t get off the ground because the people behind those ideas weren’t passionate enough to tell a compelling story.
Steve Jobs was one of the greatest corporate storytellers who existed because of his presentation skills. He informed, educated and entertained. By giving extraordinary presentations, you can stand out as a leader and communicator.
The difference between extraordinary and average communicators is how they use presentations to complement their main messages. The speaker is the storyteller and any supporting slides are merely a backdrop to the sales messages. Avoid detailed PowerPoint presentations that rely on text and bullet points. Think about how you can visually, vocally and compellingly bring your story to life.
The world is only just recovering from the Global Financial Crisis. Australia was lucky to avoid the worst of it, but how can we make our businesses stronger, more inspired and more innovative than ever before? Unleash your passion; dedicate yourself to excellence and advance with single-minded focus. Steve Jobs spent more than 30 years following his dream and he has left us these 7 clues to his success. When in doubt, we could do much worse than ask ourselves – “What would Steve Jobs do?”
