Views on the importance of products:
At this time, I began to think that maybe Edison brought more changes to the world than Marx and Indian monk Nim Kaleri Baba combined. (Steve Jobs: The Genius Behind Apple (2009)
We make tools, tools that humans use for creation, and tools for communication. These tools bring surprises to the times we live in ... that's why I like our work. We are the creators of these tools, but you can use them in ways we didn't expect. (D5 Digital Conference, May 30, 2007)
A company needs a product-oriented culture, so does a technology company. Many companies have a large number of excellent engineers and smart employees. But in the end, there must be a kind of gravity to hold the whole enterprise together. Otherwise, all you have is some beautiful technical fragments, which are scattered everywhere and have little value. (Bloomberg Businessweek, June 65438+10/October 65438+February 2004)
About user demand and market research:
We all start with great products.
My idea has always been simple, but there are still some shortcomings, and I will further explain them. I firmly believe that everything starts with great products. Therefore, I need to listen to the voice of customers, but they will not directly tell you what kind of innovation will be next year and how to subvert the industry. So, you must prick up your ears. Then take action. You should gather people who are proficient in technology, considerate of customers and eager for innovation. In my opinion, everything starts with great products. Of course, this idea has its limitations. Indeed, I was accused of not listening to customers' opinions carefully. I think some of the allegations are reasonable. (Newsweek,1September 29, 985)
The needs of consumers plus the ideas of creators
When we create products, we will listen to the needs of consumers, understand what they want, and then join our ideas and integrate them to create new products. We love each of our products, and whether the new products can be loved by the public can only be seen. (CNBC.com, September 2007)
Evaluate whether consumers have the same needs as developers.
This is not pop culture, nor grandstanding, nor convincing people to buy things they don't need. We know what we want and have built a good system to find out whether many other people have the same needs. This is our values. You can't run into the street and ask people, "What's the next great product?" To borrow a sentence from Henry Ford: "If I ask customers what they want, they may say' a faster horse'." (CNN.com, February 2008)
Don't ask the consumer what kind of product he wants, because he doesn't know.
We have a huge customer base, conducted a lot of investigation and research on regular customers, and paid close attention to the development trend of products. But everything is not that simple. In the end, it is still difficult to design products only with these partners. Usually, people don't know what they need until you show them the product. (Businessweek.com,1May 998)
No consultants, no market research.
We never do market research or hire consultants. We just want to make great products. (CNN.com, February 2008)
Product experience and business benefits:
Let go of commercial interests and focus on the product itself.
It is true that what we do should emphasize commercial interests, but this has never been our starting point. Everything starts with the product and user experience. (Time magazine, April 10, 20 1)
Apple's core competitiveness:
Three links in the birth of great products
In fact, the creation of a great product is related to many links-learning new knowledge, accepting new ideas and abandoning new ideas. ( 1985.2)
The scientific and technological attributes of apple products;
Apple has a strong DNA, that is, mastering the most advanced technology, so that ordinary people can use it ... especially those who don't like to read the instructions, those who have a busy life. (The Guardian, 2 September 2005)
Apple's core competitiveness: making high technology available to ordinary people
Nowadays, technology is becoming more and more complex. Apple's core competitiveness lies in its ability to interpret these complex technologies for the general public. This advantage makes Apple more and more popular in the market. Dell didn't want to spend money on this, and they didn't consider it. (new york Times Magazine, 2003, 165438+ 10)
About product design:
Design = product+service
In most people's dictionaries, design means flashy, thinking that design refers to interior decoration and what fabrics are used for curtains and sofas. For me, this interpretation is all wet. Design is the soul of human invention, and its ultimate embodiment is the layered packaging of products or services.
The key to design is product performance.
Design is many interesting words. Some people think that design refers to the appearance of products. But in fact, the key to design lies in product performance. The design of Macintosh is not about its appearance, although appearance is indeed part of the design. But fundamentally, the key is the performance of Macintosh. If you want to design something well, you must understand it and figure out what it is. To really understand something thoroughly, you need to put your heart and soul into it and chew it carefully, not swallow it. Few people are willing to take the time to do so. (Wired magazine,1February, 996)
Stick to it and simplify complex problems.
Regarding the iPod, the interface design of many products is quite complicated. What we want to design is a more integrated and simpler product. When you start to solve a problem, the previous scheme is usually complicated, and many people will give up because of it. However, if you can persist and accept the existence of the problem, a simple and beautiful plan is often waiting for you. Most people fail just because they don't pay time and energy. We believe that consumers are wise and well-designed products are their ultimate choice. (Newsweek, June 65438+10/October 65438+June 2006)
Design is an unprecedented combination.
In my opinion, art means being able to see things around you, combining them in an unprecedented way, and then trying to explain them to others who can't see them. (120 April 995)
Creativity is just building bridges between things. If you ask creative people how to create something, they will feel a little guilty, because they didn't really create anything, but only saw some possibility, and as time goes on, their foresight can be realized more and more. This is because they can connect different experiences and combine new things. They can do this because they have experienced more and thought more than others. (Connection,1Feb. 996)
Accepting the past can release creativity.
If you want to create in life like an artist, you can't always immerse yourself in the past. No matter what you have done in the past and what kind of person you are, you should try to accept it and put it all behind you. (Playboy,1Feb. 985)
Discussing design is actually discussing values.
We discussed for a long time what kind of washing machine to choose at home, and finally discussed for a long time around design and family values. What are we most concerned about? How much time did the washing machine save? Or is the washed clothes soft and durable? Or is the washing machine saving water? For two weeks, we have discussed these problems at the dinner table almost every night. We have discussed the washing machine over and over again, and it is not new. These are all related to the design. (Connection,1Feb. 996)
The first step of innovation: good artists copy, great artists steal.
In the final analysis, it is a matter of taste, trying to understand the greatest creation of mankind and then integrating it into the product. Picasso said that good artists copy and great artists steal. We are never ashamed of stealing great ideas. In my opinion, one of the reasons for Macintosh's great success is that its inventor is the top computer scientist in the world, as well as a musician, poet, artist, zoologist and even historian. (The Victory of the Nerd,1June, 996)
Popularization through imitation, revolution through innovation.
About product promotion:
First-class products need first-class marketing.
My dream is to let everyone in the world have an Apple computer. To this end, we must become a first-class marketing company. (Apple Wars, 1987)
The first step is to improve the product; The second step, the marketing staff
Product promotion depends on emotion.
We never want to take performance advantages and storage capacity as selling points, or rely on charts and product comparisons to promote sales. For customers, our only strategy is sensibility. (Return to the Little Kingdom, 2009)
How can monopoly enterprises lose market share? Think about it. Excellent employees developed excellent products, which enabled the enterprise to achieve monopoly. But after that, it was not these people who promoted the development of the enterprise, but marketers, or those who expanded their business to Latin America or anywhere else ... a completely different group of people began to play a greater role. Who will finally take power? Marketing staff, of course.
About the product team:
Good team, good products.
Creativity, or people, is everything to us. We go to work energetically every morning in order to work with these talented people. I always believe that attracting talents is the core of our work. (D5 Digital Conference, May 20, 2007)
The key is not the system, but the process.
Apple pursues a zero system, but this does not mean that there is no production process. At Apple, everything is rigorous and orderly, and the production process is very reasonable. The key is not the system, but how to achieve high efficiency through the process.
People from all walks of life are of one mind.
At Apple, what unites us is the common desire to change the world. (Smith Institution Oral and Video History,1April 20, 995)
About love and concentration:
People think that concentration means saying "yes" to what you must pay attention to. That was not the case. Concentration means saying "no" to other 100 good ideas. Must be carefully selected. What we didn't do made me as proud as what we did. ( CNN.com，2008.2)
In this industry, Bill Gates is the first person to start a software company. This is a great contribution. At that time, no one else in the industry knew what a software company was. The business model they pursued turned out to be very successful. When others knew nothing about this software, Bill was attracted by it. This is what makes him extraordinary. (D5 Digital Conference, May 30, 2007)
People judge you by your performance, so focus on the results and become the yardstick of quality. Some people are just not used to working in an environment that pursues Excellence. (Steve Jobs: The process is the reward. 1987)
I think the success of entrepreneurs usually depends on persistence ... unless you are very enthusiastic about what you are doing, you are likely to fail and give up halfway. You must have an idea that makes your blood boil, or a problem that you are eager to solve, otherwise, it is difficult for you to stick to it. (Smithsonian Institution Oral and Video History,1April 20, 995)
People often say that they should love what they do, which is absolutely correct. Otherwise, any rational person may choose to give up. Especially if you want to immerse yourself in this matter for a long time, it will be even more difficult. So if you don't love what you are doing, feel unhappy and don't like doing it, you will eventually give up. In fact, most people do. If you carefully compare the socially recognized "successful" people with others, you will find that they usually love what they are doing, so they can stick to it no matter how difficult it is. People who give up because they don't like it are also rational, aren't they Who is willing to endure doing things they don't like? Therefore, without enthusiasm, in the face of all kinds of difficulties and troubles, it will naturally fail in the end. (D5 Digital Conference, May 30, 2007)
You must find what you love. This pair of lovers is also true for work. Work will take up a large part of your life. Only by believing that what you are doing is a great job can you enjoy it. Only love can achieve great things ... don't muddle along. (Stanford University Graduation Speech, June 2005)
Lauren: I'm in the parking lot and my keys are still in the car. I wonder, if this is the last night of my life, would I like to meet or be with her? I ran through the parking lot and invited her to have dinner with me. She agreed, and we went to the town together, and we haven't been apart since then. (new york Times Magazine, 1997 65438+ 10)
We might as well strive for tomorrow instead of worrying about yesterday.