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Steve Jobs - Courage
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Steve Jobs - Courage

Apple's Approach to Choosing Technologies

In this section, Apple's approach to selecting technologies is discussed. They focus on choosing technologies that have a future and are in their prime, rather than trying to do everything.

Selecting Technologies Carefully

  • Apple chooses technologies carefully by looking for technical vectors that have a future and are headed up.
  • They believe in focusing on emerging technologies that are in their Springs, rather than spreading themselves too thin.
  • By choosing wisely, they can save themselves an enormous amount of work and put more energy into making those new technologies great on their platform.

Examples of Apple's Technological Choices

  • Apple transitioned from the five-inch floppy disk to the three-and-a-half-inch floppy disk with the Mac before other companies.
  • They were the first to adopt USB on their products, even though Intel had invented it.
  • Apple got rid of optical drives with the MacBook Air before others followed suit.

Facing Criticism and Making Choices

  • Sometimes when Apple gets rid of certain features or technologies, people call them crazy or premature.
  • However, they believe in picking things that look like they will be the right choices for the future.
  • Different people make different choices, but if the market tells them they're making wrong choices, they listen and make adjustments.

Focus on Making Great Products

  • Apple focuses on making great products for customers by emphasizing certain aspects and leaving out others.
  • They have the courage of their convictions to leave out features that don't contribute to a great product.
  • Customers pay Apple to make these choices and if they succeed, customers will buy their products.

Responding to Criticism and Focusing on Customer Needs

In this section, Steve Jobs discusses how Apple responds to criticism and focuses on meeting customer needs.

Listening to the Market

  • Apple listens to the market and takes feedback into consideration.
  • They are open to making changes if the market indicates they are making wrong choices.

Making the Best Products

  • Apple's goal is to make the best products in the world for customers.
  • They focus their energy on technologies that they believe are in their ascendancy and will be right for customers.
  • They prioritize customer satisfaction over pleasing certain companies or vested interests.

Customers' Role in Decision-Making

  • Customers pay Apple to make choices and create great products.
  • If Apple succeeds, customers will buy their products, and if they don't, it will work itself out naturally.

Conclusion

Apple's approach to choosing technologies involves careful selection of emerging technologies that have a future. They prioritize making great products for customers and are willing to face criticism for leaving out features that don't contribute to a superior user experience. By listening to the market and focusing on customer needs, Apple aims to create innovative and successful products.

Video description

This is a clip from the D8 Conference, recorded in 2010. Steve Jobs is talking about the courage it takes to remove certain pieces of technology from Apple products. This happened after the iPad was introduced without support for Flash, just as the iPhone, back in 2007. This clip adds some perspective into the debate of Apple's new AirPod and the decision to remove the traditional analog audio connector from the iPhone 7. This kind of decision is not new to Apple. The interview occurred 6 years ago, and Steve Jobs was already using the word "courage" to explain why the company does things the way it does.