Has it ever crossed your mind why Steve Jobs has named his business empire ‘APPLE’? Does this sound funny to hear someone say ‘Hey dude, I just got myself the new Apple i-phone’? Well, if you think this sounds really funny and Apple is named as APPLE for no reason, brace yourself to change what you think after reading this article, because I’m going to tell you how Steve Jobs “lived before he died”. His vision and principles are good lesson from an ethical point of view too.
A flashback to the scene in a California courtroom, where Apple and Samsung are battling it out as to who is the real innovator and who is the ‘copycat’. After days and hours of fighting, the judge declares victory for APPLE and Samsung bites the bullet. Wonder how APPLE did it?
Well, here goes. The Five Business Lessons that B-School don’t teach you:
1) Success= 50% Inspiration + 50% Aspiration
Basically there is no formula for success but one needs to be inspired by something or someone and then aspire to reach the stars!
Being a college dropout was not the end of the world for Steve Jobs. He knew he was destined for something much better, something much greater and he was ‘hungry’ to find out what it was, what is that he truly loved doing? What actually did ‘inspire’ him? The answer was calligraphy. Steve followed his heart leading him to the creation of the MACKINTOSH and finally aspiring to be the world’s No 1; The APPLE Co.
2) Interest is the mother of all innovations
Imagine the world still calling and ringing to Graham’s telephone? Just think how today’s I-phone or the Samsung S series differ from its inventor’s -the basic black! If inventions changed the world then innovation conquers! What led to the changes in the design, application, and usage of this very telephone is nothing more that the delight and interest it created in its users.
3) Soul of business
Every business succeeds when it identifies its own area of competency. For instance Apple is known for its numerous “apps” that can be easily and quickly downloaded. But check out the app store of Blackberry for instance. If it strikes you as only an imitation of APPLE, then one cannot blame you.
Creating one’s own identity is what matters; imitation is just living life with someone else’s soul! So stop mimicking someone’s strategy and create one of yours for change.
4) Don’t follow the leaders
Why in the world did Samsung follow Apple? Did Apple follow anyone to get this far? As mentioned earlier, you’ve got to create something on your own. Not follow or copy! Obviously tracking your competitors is fine, but to follow blindly as the rats did behind the Pied Piper is definitely going to bring you down!
5) There is nothing wrong in being sorry.
Many reports have stated that Apple had warned Samsung many times regarding copyright infringements. Apparently, Samsung took it all too easy. If they were sorry, they were too proud to admit it. Apple could have gone straight to court without warning but thought it fair to give them a second chance.
You need to be cautious enough not to miss any warning signs as you tread. Be smart to make a detour or do course correction as appropriate.
It is said that two ‘apples’ have found a place in the world’s history; The Adam’s apple and the apple that fell on Newton’s head leading to theory of gravity. It is for this very reason that Jobs decided to name the love of his life as APPLE.
Apple did win the battle ultimately but they are definitely HUNGRY FOR MORE!!
