Steve Jobs taught me ( I am the one with the cigar) everything about product development, innovation and marketing. I have never met Steve Jobs. I would work for him for nothing. Forever.
Background.
In 1988, I was an executive with RasterOps a company that grew from zero to $50 million in 3 years and made a successful IPO. RasterOps developed and sold expansion products for Apple Computers. I had an extraordinary experience working closely with Apple employees introducing our products. According to the San Jose mercury news in 1991, I was the 119th highest paid executive of a public company in Silicon Valley. Currently, I am president of a life-style company. I work daily with creative individuals and use what I learned, and what I am still learning, from observing Steve Jobs.
What I learned from observing Steve Jobs?
• Do not hire sales people, develop products that people want. If you do, you will not have to sell them, people will buy them. Big difference.
• Develop products that will make you more efficient and you want to use. If you do, then other people will want them too.
• Culture trumps compensation. Get the culture right and management issues are significantly reduced.
• Make sure you obsolete your own products.
• Genuine innovation is an individual effort and vision, but small teams breathe life into the innovation. If big teams fostered innovation, General Motors would be the largest car company in the world. It is not.
• Always innovate with small groups of dedicated people.
• Innovation does not have a schedule. It is bursts of genius followed by months of persistent hard work.
• Never sacrifice quality to meet a product release deadline.
• Product design is equally as important as product content.
• Keep product announcements secret. Everyone loves a big surprise.
• Make products that are platforms for other people to make money. If you do, you will create an industry with multiple revenue streams rather than just short term product sales.
• Once you are ahead, you must work harder to stay there.
Background.
In 1988, I was an executive with RasterOps a company that grew from zero to $50 million in 3 years and made a successful IPO. RasterOps developed and sold expansion products for Apple Computers. I had an extraordinary experience working closely with Apple employees introducing our products. According to the San Jose mercury news in 1991, I was the 119th highest paid executive of a public company in Silicon Valley. Currently, I am president of a life-style company. I work daily with creative individuals and use what I learned, and what I am still learning, from observing Steve Jobs.
What I learned from observing Steve Jobs?
• Do not hire sales people, develop products that people want. If you do, you will not have to sell them, people will buy them. Big difference.
• Develop products that will make you more efficient and you want to use. If you do, then other people will want them too.
• Culture trumps compensation. Get the culture right and management issues are significantly reduced.
• Make sure you obsolete your own products.
• Genuine innovation is an individual effort and vision, but small teams breathe life into the innovation. If big teams fostered innovation, General Motors would be the largest car company in the world. It is not.
• Always innovate with small groups of dedicated people.
• Innovation does not have a schedule. It is bursts of genius followed by months of persistent hard work.
• Never sacrifice quality to meet a product release deadline.
• Product design is equally as important as product content.
• Keep product announcements secret. Everyone loves a big surprise.
• Make products that are platforms for other people to make money. If you do, you will create an industry with multiple revenue streams rather than just short term product sales.
• Once you are ahead, you must work harder to stay there.
Keep reading this Blog because I am going to elaborate on each of these items in the weeks ahead.
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