I found this piece on Fast Company Design and thought it would be appropriate to share. This author takes a look at how Steve Jobs looked at the world, business and life and identify the key things that can help everyone else understand his thinking. Not only that, but how to think like him. I’m not saying this book will turn you into the next Steve Jobs but a little insight goes a long way.
[The following is an excerpt from What Would Steve Jobs Do?: How the Steve Jobs Way Can Inspire Anyone to Think Differently and Win by Peter Sander (McGraw Hill). To read the first excerpt, on hiring pirates, go here.]
It’s All About Synthesis
More often than not, a vision is a synthesis of ideas or products or technologies around a specific customer need or idea. For those of us who don’t develop visions naturally, or at least as naturally as Steve Jobs did, here are a few patterns you can follow to build or enhance a vision:
Visions combine things
Ideas, products, and technologies are “mushed” together to arrive at an epiphany solution. The iPod Touch, a phone, and an Internet communications device became the iPhone. Earlier on, a small disk drive, a new battery, FireWire, and iTunes turned into the iPod. Still earlier, a graphical user interface, a one-piece cabinet, and a 3.5-inch floppy drive became the Macintosh.
Visions connect things
Visionaries can apply or “cross” existing concepts or technologies across new platforms. The modern “big-box” retail format was crossed with the traditional lumberyard to come up with Home Depot, and was crossed with the used-car business to create CarMax. The love of coffee and an Italian ambience were crossed with the decline of alcohol and the corner bar to create the Starbucks coffee vision. The iPad could be loosely described as a cross between a PC and an iPhone.
Visions apply the new to the old
This is similar to the connect idea, except that it specifically involves new technologies. Digital technology and miniaturization can be applied to modernize a traditional music (or book) library. Microwave technology, developed for defense applications, can be used to cook food (that originally seemed to be a bigger vision than it actually turned out to be, because microwaves don’t cook all foods well). Many a vision for how to apply the Internet to almost anything came forth during the dot-com boom–but just because someone has a vision doesn’t mean it’s right!
Visions create value propositions
Customers are usually willing to trade off something to get something better, and value proposition–centered visions capitalize on this. Southwest had a clear vision that customers would accept no meals in flight, no first class, no assigned seats, and no interline baggage in return for cheap fares. CarMax figured that people would pay a somewhat higher price to get a haggle-free and trustworthy car-buying experience. Starbucks figured that people would pay $3.45 for a latte to get an intellectually stimulating third place. Apple figured that people would pay 99 cents for songs to get a reliable download and copyright peace of mind.
If you know your customers and know your business, you should be able to build a vision around one or more of these patterns.
Buy What Would Steve Jobs Do? for $14 at Amazon.
What was your favorite Steve Jobs invention or innovation? Share in the comment box below or on Facebook and Twitter.