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Steve Jobs Interview on Apple's Success, Management and More

Fortune has published an interesting interview with Apple CEO Steve Jobs covering a wide range of topics. Jobs provide some insight into decisions Apple has made over the years and their design philosophies.

Jobs discusses why he thinks Apple has been successful and their unique approach to design. He takes pride that Apple can integrate both hardware and software design and feels this is a huge advantage over other companies. Jobs also feels that Apple needs to be picky about which products to pursue, and again points to their decision not to release a PDA as an example. Other notable quotes:

On Apple's Consumer Success:

"It's not about pop culture, and it's not about fooling people, and it's not about convincing people that they want something they don't. We figure out what we want. ... "So you can't go out and ask people, you know, what the next big [thing.] There's a great quote by Henry Ford, right? He said, 'If I'd have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me "A faster horse." ' "


Marathon Monday Meetings at Apple:

"So what we do every Monday is we review the whole business. We look at what we sold the week before. We look at every single product under development, products we're having trouble with, products where the demand is larger than we can make. All the stuff in development, we review. And we do it every single week. I put out an agenda -- 80% is the same as it was the last week, and we just walk down it every single week.

"We don't have a lot of process at Apple, but that's one of the few things we do just to all stay on the same page."


Apple placed at the top of Fortune's American's Most Admired Companies for 2008.

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51 months ago
Fascinating comment about Mondays. Guess that's how they get their Tuesdays right time after time after time...
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51 months ago
Every single product under development, eh? More than one?

Though still, it's nice to know that they care about their products more than anything.
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51 months ago
Another great article about Apple to add to my bookmarks.
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51 months ago
I really like how Apple is sticking true to their business model of the integration of hardware and software design, and giving special emphasis to the software (it seems as all their flagship products underlie the same architecture). The consistency that Jobs has brought alongside the amazing innovations truly make this company one to watch for the ages.
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51 months ago
Okay, wow...that quote by Ford really hit me. Wow...
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51 months ago

Every single product under development, eh? More than one?


I presume that includes software development and updates too, so presumably at any given time there are update in the works for iLife and iWork apps, Safari, iTunes, OS X, iPhone firmware, various iPod firmware, AppleTV, Airport Extreme etc. in addition to 3G iPhones, incorporating new Intel processors into existing products, product revisions, and whatever R&D they're doing that may or may not yield a retail product. So yes...more than one. :rolleyes:
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51 months ago
Great article, interesting points about their Monday meetings. :) :D
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51 months ago
Props to Jobs and Apple. Simply classic Henry Ford quote!
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51 months ago
Most companies have way too many products or lines. Take Sony: the Trinitron 3AE-34KBK , the Walkman 43KbH9-1 and so on. Way too com-plicated, With Apple you get a nano a mini or classic. Simple to read and remember and not some different edition for Europe or Asiaa. Slim lines.

Also not a million managers and levels to approve a product, concept or ad campaign. At Apple design IS as important as technology. A single voice. Yes maybe Jobs but it makes it so much purer.
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51 months ago
What a great interview, its really great to get some insight into how Steve runs Apple.
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