People come to the Apple Store for the experience — and they’re willing to pay a premium for that. There are lots of components to that experience, but maybe the most important — and this is something that can translate to any retailer — is that the staff isn’t focused on selling stuff, it’s focused on building relationships and trying to make people’s lives better. (via HBR)
I got this coffee mug almost five years ago from the Apple company store down in Cupertino, California. It has survived four moves, a health scare and one company. It still is my preferred way to start my day with a steaming cup of tea/coffee. Damn, they make good coffee mugs too!
It is easy to get distracted by minor moves when in the end you are (and you should be) judged by your entire body of work. It is the best (and the hardest) lesson of life, one that sadly acquires with age.
But his more important goal, he said, was to do what Hewlett and his friend David Packard had done, which was create a company that was so imbued with innovative creativity that it would outlive them. –Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
We are willing to think long-term. We start with the customer and work backwards. And, very importantly, we are willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time. — Jeff Bezos, founder & CEO, Amazon.com.
“Mercenary C.E.O.’s are always preparing for a sale, and missionary ones are always preparing for the long term. I’m clearly in the latter camp.” Reed Hastings, co-founder & CEO, Netflix
Here is Kevin Kelly on long-term-ism. A must read.
There have been virtual assistants before, but none like Siri. Just ask Jonathan Mann. Enjoy! (via)
