On Steve Jobs

The passing of Steve Jobs gives us all a moment to reflect on the extraordinary genius and influence he had on our world.  I first purchased a Macintosh computer in the late 1980's to do graphics for the marketing firm I was running at the time.  We went through several versions and in 1994, I brought one home, put it on a table, plugged it in and left it.  By the time I came home the next day, my ten year old son had it all figured all out and could literally make it sing.  My children use only Apple products.

I think the key to Steve Jobs genius can be summed up in four words: the stuff just worked.

Apple products move you away from needing to understand the technology - to getting stuff done. You move from process to outcome without interference from the technology.

A couple of Christmases ago I was given the book Inside Steve's Brain.  It was a fascinating exploration of how Steve Jobs created an innovation culture at Apple. Dozens of prototypes were developed and discussed and reviewed in great detail.  Then more prototypes were created until a consensus was reached on function, form and ease of use.  The user interfaces that Apple pioneered have resulted in devices that give us access to the stuff we want quickly and easily. Steve Jobs obsessed over how the product was packaged so that the consumer had a major Wow factor when they open the box.

The genius of Steve Jobs was understanding, before we realized it, what we wanted and creating the technology and devices to give us that.  One of the conclusions of the book was that Jobs has successfully transferred the innovation culture and process to Apple and that it will continue long into the future, even without him.

Jobs recognized the value of the experience.  That dedication to the customer's perspective resulted in raving fans willing to pay a premium for the products and the lifestyle he created.

His excellence approach is an inspiration to all of us.