What can a company that doesn’t blog teach us about blogging? Plenty, as you will see:
- Don’t give people what they say they want… give them what they really want–what they didn’t even know they wanted.
- Have a strong vision for who you are and what you’re doing, so that everything is an expression of that.
- Design matters.
- Branding isn’t external, it’s internal.
- Take something ordinary and find its weaknesses, then make those your strengths and you will be extraordinary.
- Make stuff people love (everyone else is already making stuff that people couldn’t care less about or even hate).
- Get to the very essence of what you do.
- Be the first or the most or the least in some noteworthy way (first GUI, most mp3 players sold, thinnest notebook)
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You should take a look at Wired Magazine’s article “Straight Dope on The iPod’s Birth” – it gives an interesting detail about how the iPod came about.
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2006/10/71956
I think it covers most (if not all) of the points you raised above.
Thanks for breaking this down. Great points.
The more I think about those points, the more ideas pop into my mind of things I should be doing. Revealing…
Dave, thanks for that link. That story really is exemplary of those attributes.
David, that’s great to hear. It makes my day to know I’ve inspired someone. Thanks for sharing that.
Excellent, Michael!
I’m copying this short, but sweet post for my “Vision” folder … to inspire me as I design a forthcoming project on wellness.
Cheers from Canada,
Sheila
@Sheila – that is wonderful to hear. Good luck with your project!
I love this one! “Make stuff people love (everyone else is already making stuff that people couldn’t care less about or even hate).”
I recently bought a Mac and wow…. what a freakin difference. Now if I have to go back to my PC to get some file, I just get disgusted.
I’m constantly amazed at the thoughtful work that went into making everything on the Mac beautiful. It’s like the difference you feel traveling around a run down old city where everything exists for basic functionality, vs. a beautiful city where art and culture is built into every piece of architecture.
@Christine – Yeah you know I was thinking the other day: there are Apple fans but there are no Microsoft fans. People just put up with Microsoft–or even hate them.
That is such a condemnation of their business, to me, beyond any other metric.
This is an information that is obviously of great value. I totally
agree with your statements.Thanks for sharing it!
@Aurelius – You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Always appreciate new faces here.