scrumpy jack

"I hate it when people call themselves ‘entrepreneurs’ when what they are really trying to do is launch a startup and then sell or go public, so they can cash in and move on. They are unwilling to do the work it takes to build a real company, which is the hardest work in business. That’s how you really make a contribution and add the legacy of those who went before. You build a company that will still stand for something a generation of two from now. That’s what Walt Disney did, and Hewlett and Packard, and the people who built Intel. That’s what I want Apple to be."

— Steve Jobs (via mrsteveheyes)

(Source: xbitlabs.com)

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Lessons I’ve Learned from Steve’s Apple

1. Be personal
2. Create a few beautiful, usable products
3. Make sure ‘it just works’
4. Be prepared, and don’t be afraid, to change your mind
5. Don’t stick doggedly to a piece of tech just because you’ve invested heavily in it - if it’s not right, it’s not right, so get rid
6. Create a complete customer experience
7. Don’t compete; innovate
8. Don’t be afraid to charge a premium
9. Regular release cycles
10. Stoke the fires of rumour…
11. But be cautious with the media
12. Don’t just give people what they want or even what they think they need
13. Build a great brand image
14. Only make things worthy of your brand

I drafted this brief post a couple of weeks ago, originally entitled “Lessons Apple Has Taught Me”. Felt like it needed finishing off and changing a little in light of recent events.

With Flipstorm I’m going to keep all of these in mind!

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Roar

I was very eager to upgrade to Lion. Convinced that this is the pique of OS X development, I had to get my hands on it straight away and get it running! The experience so far:

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Back to Mac Basics

Apple’s new lineup of MacBook Pro’s finally dawned upon the world in usual fashion last Thursday. It’s not a huge leap forward (even from my Late ‘08 13” Unibody MacBook), but there’s a lot of potential.

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Windows Phone 7 Unlaunch Party

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I Hate Adverts

Hate is a strong word. In fact, just last week I saw hate lift a whole elephant into the air. But when I say hate, I really mean it.

Well… there are some ads I like. They tend to be smart and not overtly trying to sell me something and so technically I feel they slip themselves out of the category of advertising (maybe).

Thinking about it though, I don’t know anyone who likes ads. On the radio, on the TV, at the cinema, on your DVDs, on Spotify, on the bus shelter… whenever they “appear” there’s always a disenchanted sigh… Sometimes it’s audible.

So I was quite shocked yesterday as I was watching/listening to the Apple “Fall” event, when Stevey J asked the audience if they wanted to see the ads for the new iPod range… I think the answer was a resounding “Yes!”

These people actually WANTED to watch some ads!

I would love to see Steve’s face when everyone just goes: “Actually, mate, can we give it a miss. Ta.”

I mean, who WANTS to see ads? Do you?

This is one of the reasons I’ve vowed to myself never to show ads in any of my apps. There are much better ways to make money in my view.

Unfortunately advertising does sell. Despite my view on matters, an amazing number of people still give in to ads, including me at times - clicking through, preferring one product over another, utterly convinced that Cillit Bang is better than soap and water. So it still works! Boo-hiss

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