Hello, it wasn’t take so long to update this blog from last update 😉
When you hear the motto “Simple is the best”, what comes in your mind? I’m sure many people would come up with the World’s most valuable company “Apple Inc.” The ‘Simplicity’ is what Steve Jobs really cherished for his life. “Insanely Simple – The Obsession that drives Apples’s success” is a book’s title written by Ken Segall. Today, I would like to write about the book and Apple.
Few days ago, I one book store near my hometown. It’s been a long time since I last visited any book stores. In the book store, I found a book, which was really outstanding in other books. The book’s cover was really simple, written only “Think Simple (The book’s title in Japan)” with Black color in white back.
I took that book, and read first several pages. Instantly, the book interested me. So I decided to borrow the book from city library – I didn’t buy !
The author of the book, Ken Segall is not so popular (as far as I know), yet he co-worked with Steve Jobs both in Apple and NexT. He is one of the people who worked closely with Steve Jobs, and took an important role on Apple’s and NexT’s public relations department.
Well, the book was insanely interesting. For those of you who like Apple, Apple’s products, Steve Jobs, or even people who study Management, should read this book.
Overall, the book was whole about Simplicity – how difficult it is to be insanely simple, how simplicity is important, etc. – as referring Apple’s success. Apple is(was) the world most valuable company, because the completely simple products that Apple produced attracted people all over the world. When you hear the world “Simple”, you might think it is easy to bring the concept of simplicity. But the truth is, reverse.
Simple is not something you can easily adopt. Simple is perfect or none; you cannot be simple partially. To be simple, you have to be insanely simple, otherwise you’re complex.
Many people may not agree with insanely simplicity, because insanely simple sometimes (many times) make controversial – you may know what I mean if you read the book. But Apple has succeeded because it overcome the controversial as it completely became ‘simple’.
Well, let me put the book’s content aside, and let us think about current Apple.
Apple, which was(is) famous for its motto ‘simplicity’, does it still persist on insanely simplicity? Well, I should say ‘No’ to this question. Because Apple, after Tim Cook’s succeed to Steve Jobs as CEO, is getting complex. If you see the products, you will know: more colors for one products, complex design for iPhone (two tone color design), various products in one category (iPad mini, MacBook Pro retina, etc.). Moreover, if we see Tim Cook’s presentation, you will know the difference from that of Steve Jobs; it includes complexity. As a result, Apple’s share price is lowering continuously.
Well, some may say that ‘Apple is still simple than other companies’. Yet, again, simple is 100% or 0%; you cannot be 50% simple. The current Apple is losing complete simplicity.
Human thinks really complex. Being insanely simple is difficult because of simplicity. As we read the book ‘Insanely Simple’, we should think once again how we think things too complex. The society may have been more simple. Maybe it is okay to think simpler.
Yet, it seems easy, but difficult.