The Real Genius of Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs has been crowned the King of Innovation, while most people see other companies, like Microsoft, struggling with innovation. The big question is how and why was Jobs so successful, while others seem to be spinning in circles?
The truth is that all of us have innovative ideas. For example, most of us have imagined a car that will automatically drive us to work while we sit in back reading, watching a movie, etc. It would eliminate the headache of dealing with traffic. If you examine the technology to invent such a vehicle, it is all there - today - right now. But it has not become a reality. Why? Because of the cost and the fact that the infrastructure that would be needed has not been built. My point is that just because something is innovative and a great idea, it doesn't mean that you should begin spending money to build it.
The genius of Steve Jobs was that he was able to analyze the opportunities for innovation and how he could apply technology in the real world. The iPhone or the iPod weren't really all that much of an original idea. Microsoft's smart phone was way ahead of the game. The difference was that Steve Jobs saw how to integrate iTunes into his products and revolutionize the music industry.
Don't forget that Napster was being sued by the music producers over copyright infringement. It was Jobs who worked out a deal with the music companies and invented the 99 cent download. Apple did not invent, or even think of, the technology, they just integrated it into their products in a way that satisfied an industry. The genius of Steve Jobs was iTunes.
Another innovation was the "App" store. Mobile devices have run applications for many years but Apple was the first to figure out a streamline way to deliver apps and charge very little money to the user. What would the iPhone be without Apps? Not much. Microsoft made it possible for developers to create apps for smart phones for many, many years but they did not connect the dots. The genius of Steve Jobs was the AppStore.
Steve Jobs wasn't so much of a creator of new inventions as he was an innovator who figured out what it takes to make things work for people in the real world. He was brilliant in his ability to analyze technology and the needs of people and make technology useful.
