Numerous articles and blogs have been written about the brilliance and innovativeness of Steve Jobs. With his passing, the world has lost a pioneer and leader in technology and industry. I didn’t have the privilege of meeting him or knowing him, however he has made a lasting effect on me and my thoughts on growth (and I don’t mean because of the Apple products I own and consume).
What resonates with me most and makes me want to emulate in my career is his ability to create disruptive business models and change entire industries through innovation. Sure the iPod became the digital version of the historic Sony Walkman, but to achieve superior growth and own a market, Steve Jobs and his brethren at Apple created iTunes and in very short order changed the entire music industry on a dime. As many of you know, we, at Axispoint, have been deeply involved in the music and entertainment industries for a number of years, building software and critical systems for leading companies. I have witnessed first-hand how iTunes significantly advanced digital music, helping plummet lucrative CD and other music product sales.
When Apple launched the iPhone, it wasn’t on the map in mobile devices and telecommunications. However, by creating a user experience that was so simple and graphically friendly and opening up a platform to let developers build applications (and then monetizing it) and users download them, Apple revolutionized the cellular market. I don’t think companies like Motorola, RIM and Nokia could have imagined such as disruption. Apples App Store is now the leader in applications and Apple is providing new iPhone innovations in every release such as voice commands, cloud services, etc.
And what about the iPad? Apple created an entirely new category of product in the computing, e-reader, and mobile device world. I own the iPad 2 and find the functionality and ease of use so powerful and simple, I can just imagine features that will be coming down the road. I still own a laptop, but with an iPad, why would I need to buy a small notebook? What will happen to that product category when computing features become more prevalent on the iPad?
I’m mentioning some of his recent successes, but Steve Jobs has been innovative his entire career. For example, many people forget that he created Pixar, another disruptive business model. Pixar used such advanced technologies and concepts that it forever changed the look and direction of animated films.
I know I’m one of a plethora of people who have praised his accomplishments. Yet for me it’s not just around product development; it’s the ability to creatively change markets. Someone recently said to me, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” No one epitomized this more than Steve Jobs.
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