What’s Awesome About Apple

Warning: this post is amazingly biased towards apple, I know many people aren’t into Apple. It’s ok, we don’t need to fight.

I think Apple is brilliant. I seriously do. Although much can and has been said about their specific products I want to point out a few things I love about their philosophy. I’ll allow you to make your own conclusions about how they apply to life and leadership.

Apple Is Content With Being the Best
On the surface that seems like a funny thing to say but many people and organizations get awesome and then ruin it by doing what it takes to get big.

Apple Understands That Vibe Matters
Call it culture or style or hip-factor but Apple knows that that intangible feeling that goes along with stuff is almost as important as the stuff it does. It’s not just what happens but how you feel while it does. Many a non-Apple user look at this aspect of Apple and say “I just don’t get it” and we Apple users respond “we know.”

Apple Puts Quality Over Price.
Cheaper is seldom better unless you are looking at something disposable. I’m going to over-spiritualize here but Jesus said “you love what cost you the most.” Could it be that Apples high prices (and commensurate quality) are part of why Apple users love them? You paid a lot of money for an awesome thing so you love it. This seems to be a good time to talk about my friend who is a full time professional computer tech. He has education and 15 years experience with PC’s. He works on PC’s all day. At home he uses Apple. I asked him why and he said “I spend so much time fixing these things that at home I wanted something that works.”

Apple Refuses to Let Other People Hijack Their Vision
Steve Jobs knows what he wants to do and he does it. People whine, people nay say, people demand, and he just goes on doing what he wants. I love that. Great case in point is flash. Apple is focused in a way few other organizations have the tenacity to be. It boarders on arrogance but it works.

Apple Knows Best
This is related to the above. Apple does what they think they should and gives us what they think we need even if it’s not what we actually wanted at the time. I don’t think they start their creative process by asking “what do folks want” or “what will people buy” or “what’s hot right now.” They ask “what would be awesome? They removed floppy drives. Every one freaked out and then everyone else removed them too. They make themselves the only source for apps for the iphone because they want to insure quality. Everyone freaks out and then goes and buys apps. They say no porn on the iphone and everyone freaks out and then uses their iPhone to tweat about it. Some people hate this but I love the way Steve comes down from the mountain and says here, trust me. And at this point I do.

Apple Takes Risks
This is another one in the “amazing ability to ignore the critics category.” Apple does stuff people think is crazy or even stupid. Let’s make people pay for all the music they have been downloading for free. Crazy but it worked. Let’s make an iphone that is huge and not a phone. Just a few weeks ago everyone was laughing at that. Check the sales on the ipad.

Apple Embraces the Primacy of Simplicity
Apple will sacrifice sacred cows like “customization” or “openness” in order to preserve simplicity. They understand that it doesn’t matter what something does, what matters is what I can make it do and those are almost never the same unless you keep things clear and simple. This article claims to be about the iphone being cool but that last few paragraphs hit the truer note – it’s about it being simple.

Apple Knows That Everything Communicates
Ok, ok. I can’t get through this without bringing up design. Everything I said about simplicity… when you look at an Apple product it screams that. Less buttons, smoother lines, less and less ugly ports. How things appear communicates a lot about what they are and Apple knows people always judge a book by it’s cover.

What would you add?

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