What is Steve Jobs doing right or different to all the CEOs in the technology industry?
My first reaction to the news was Steve Jobs being “market led” and the other CEOs being “product led”.
There is more to that than first thought. What makes Steve Jobs so different?
The technology sector is filled with one product companies that appear and then disappear into just another brand name – companies like Iomega, Compaq, US Robotics, Palm, Creative etc. Microsoft is essentially a one product company (Windows operating system and Office software) and is trying to move into other sectors. It has vast coffers as it rode on the biggest wave in the technology field – supplying operating systems continually to a newly created mainstream market of PCs. It is cash rich and has time.
Change is happening all the time. The market is forever changing.
What matters is the mindset of the senior executives. Their mindset is based on the success of their previous success and do not appreciate the changes in the market.
Windows Mobile OS for phones – has all the characteristics of the PC Windows OS – clunky and long winded.
Also, the successful business does not see what the new trend is = PARC – the research centre of Xerox. The research centre invented the mouse, laser printer and the GUI (graphical user interface – graphical interface for Windows and Macs) amongst others but these inventions were not recognised by management who were more interested in document reproduction,
In the last decade, Steve Jobs has provided an integrated solution of supplying both the media (iTunes – music and video media) and the player (iPod). The beauty of the system is that Apple collects the revenue from both streams.
Steve Jobs also introduced the iPhone which is literally a small computer but with very good communication links. This product is not only a mobile phone but also is game console, “sat nav”, music & video player, book reader and a general computer – with Apps (user selected software). This device has so many functions that it competes with many mono-functional devices in the market.
In my opinion, it was during his wilderness days (1985 to 1996, he was sacked from his beloved Apple) where he got insight to the other industries as he was independent and could see the big picture. Also he got to appreciate the consequences of the continual introduction of new technology with other industries. During this time, he got involved with 2 businesses – Pixar (movie animation) and Next computers.
This was at this time he developed his mindset with the insights on the big picture. There is an expression where “the toughest steels are forged in the white heat of the hottest cauldrons”. Meaning, good leaders develop their character from their experience of adversity.
Steve Jobs is now getting the payback from the time in the wilderness.
PS: Since writing this blog, I have been advised of a Steve Jobs commencement day speech 2005 on You Tube. This speech elucidates a number of points in his journey and now voted CEO of the decade.
Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005
Another commentary about technology companies but this one explains why,amongst others, the mindset of the Jobs is different from the others – Nokia, RIM. The R&D budget of Nokia is some 4 times that of Apple but the results are so different.
A new route from idea to reality.
Dr Michael Oon
