While Jobs and his partners were instrumental in introducing personal computers to the masses, the company eventually went in a much different direction than its competitors. His focus on the user experience was revolutionary, creating an almost cult following for all things Apple. While Jobs surely kept an eye on the bottom line, building a better mousetrap was his means to achieve that goal. He said it best, “Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets.”In my opinion, Steve Jobs was no Thomas Edison, but more of a Henry Ford or Walt Disney. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak acknowledged that his friend’s strength was not found in a laboratory, but surrounded by employees, customers and his design team. The media and consumers relished his appearances and helped Apple gain a market and following for each of its offerings.
Leadership Development Never Stops
There are many lessons to be learned from innovators like Steve Jobs. He took the organization literally from three guys fashioning circuit boards in a garage to one of the world’s most respected corporations. The company experienced a number of peaks and valleys, including his own firing and reentry when the company was on the ropes, but Jobs overcame a hurdle many entrepreneurs can’t: he adapted his skills to become a master marketer and industry icon. Few people have been able to transform successfully from managing a small business upstart to leading a major corporation with more than 49,000 employees. Most entrepreneurs “hit the wall” at approximately 100 employees, but when you actively recruit and hire other experienced individuals (putting egos aside), the hurdles are easier to overcome.
Jobs lost a power struggle with the board of directors and resigned from Apple in 1985. He learned from that humbling experience, turning a negative into a lesson in motivation that solutions providers should take note of: "The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life." That lack of fear relating to failure lead Jobs to other successes that, on their own, would be significant milestones in any other individual’s life.
His accomplishments at Apple may overshadow many of his other achievements, such as the founding of NeXT Inc. and Pixar Animation Studios. How many entrepreneurs could quickly and effectively build two other major organizations after being “fired” from their first creation? He learned from failures and adapted over the years, while continuing to hone his user experience philosophy.
When NeXT was acquired by Apple in 1996, Jobs was brought back into the fold and was back in the CEO role within a year. In an effort to fix (what was then) a floundering organization, he spearheaded a retooling of the company’s portfolio, processes and image,
The iPod was a result of those efforts. Even though Apple didn’t create the MP3 player, Jobs’ team perfected a device that made it easy and fun for anyone to use (with iTunes and a wealth of apps). While he and his business partners were pioneers in personal computing, the current portfolio crosses several segments of technology. Not only did that diversification bring the company revenue that would fuel their R&D for years to come, but seemed to inspire Jobs’ to become a marketing marvel.
Perhaps it came earlier, but the iPod debut was when the mainstream media tagged him as a “tech rock star.” After that, every product announcement became a major production, with press and consumers (not just techies) glued to the streaming news feeds. That expectation continues, as illustrated earlier this week with the iPhone 4s briefing, although a bit of the flair was missing without their “spiritual leader”—and the news seemed to fall short of most people’s expectations. It will be hard for some to accept, but there was only one Steve Jobs and it is unfair to expect his replacement to fill the void.
User Experience
Some will argue that Apple is a consumer company, so the comparison with B2B isn’t fair. But the iPhone, iPad and MacPro show that those lines of division are quickly melting. People want easy-to-use products and services, whether at home or work. Jobs often suggested that the most important feature of any offering was “what you leave out.” Apple innovated by removing complexity and improving the user experience, a lesson for all businesses—and solution providers who take that approach are often quite successful.
Steve Jobs spent a lot of time and energy understanding the current and future needs of consumers, and he worked closely with his design team to introduce products and services that fit those specifications. He balanced the technology with the user experience, realizing Apple’s success would come from the satisfaction of its customers. Accomplished solution providers realize the value in Jobs’ philosophy and incorporate it in their organizational plans.
For more on how Apple’s latest iPhone debut may impact solution providers, check out Seth Robinson’s blog post.
Innovation in Collaborative Groups
Steve Jobs studied the achievements and failures of others in the industry, then took the best practices and built upon them. CompTIA member communities perform a similar function for solution providers, as members share and assemble the methods and ideas to enhance their business operations and product/service portfolios. With careful attention to the needs of particular audiences, these groups collaborate to build on the success of others. When solution providers (and vendors) enhance their solution sets and best practices, their clients typically receive better products and services—setting the stage for increased revenue and profitability.
No, there’s no guarantee your company will become the next Apple simply by joining the CompTIA Healthcare IT Community (just one example), but participation in these groups better prepares you to build and sell a solution portfolio for physicians and related organizations. Even though EMR is a beneficial program for the healthcare community, it takes qualified IT professionals to make these prospective customers understand its value… and then design systems that meet their specific needs. Solution providers must understand work flows within medical offices, as well as the industry regulations and requirements of their insurance and hospital alliance partners.
EMR could be considered the MP3 of the channel; it’s the basic technology component. The value of these “systems” comes from customizable applications that adapt them to meet the preferences and needs of individual users. Much like the iPod overtook the MP3 designation, solution providers can adapt EMR technologies to have the same effect.
One important lesson that Steve Jobs left behind is that people still buy value. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in America (and the world), if you have the vision and skills to provide it. Many solution providers have those attributes and, with the right sales/marketing ingenuity, can achieve success in their own field.
Brian Sherman is founder of Tech Success Communications, specializing in editorial content and consulting for the IT channel. His previous roles include chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and industry alliances director with Autotask. Contact Brian at [email protected].
