As the world mourns the loss of Steve Jobs today, there will be no shortage of stories that highlight how he changed the world.
Jason Fried at the Signal vs. Noise blog lists just a few.
I don’t have much to add to the chorus of heartfelt thanks to Steve Jobs for how he changed computers, movies, etc., but one thing did occur to me this morning was how he changed business.
Steve created passion for a brand
Can you think of any other brand that would have people lining up outside their stores to pay their respects when the CEO passed away?
Can you think of any other brand or CEO that would move people to tears upon hearing that this person they have never met was gone?
Can you think of any other brand or CEO that would provoke a piece like this extremely powerful post by John Gruber?
I think that Steve more than anyone made people realize that if you set out to make great products, you can build a company bigger than those products. You can build a movement, a way of life and change people’s entire identity if you put yourself and your passion into it.
By not compromising on your vision for what you do, you can do great things.
Steve changed how people interact with the brand
The thought I had this morning came from my status as a current Windows user and “wannabe” Mac user.
My thought process went like this.
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I would love to get a Mac.
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Why doesn’t Apple have a program that you get a discount if you switch from a PC to a Mac. That may get people to experience their product and then become a long-term customer.
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Why not? Because that’s not Apple. That’s not how they do things. That is too pedestrian for a company like Apple.
I think that’s an enormous part of Steve’s legacy. He changed the way people look at how to build a successful company. While PC manufacturers are trying to make PCs that they can sell for a lower price to sell to more people, turning the personal computer into a commodity, Steve said, “We make great machines. We’re not going to cheap out on how we build computers to sell them cheaply to people who won’t appreciate the quality they are getting.”
Steve not only didn’t make the computer a commodity, he made it a work of art.
By building a product of such high quality that it calls for charging a permium price, and refusing to compromise on the quality to make a cheaper and more price-accessible product, Apple sets the tone that they believe in what they do. They send the message that what they offer is worth the premium price they charge. That helps build that passionate Apple fan-base. Make great products + charge a fair (but not cheap) price + serve your customers well = success.
Gone but not forgotten
My hope is that Steve established a culture of excellence at Apple that will ultimately be his true legacy. Not being an insider, I can’t know for sure, but all indications point to that being the case.
Steve put everything he had into Apple and his memory will be honored by their continued success and andherence to the principles he stood for.
Steve will be missed, but he will always be remembered.
