Seminar4-Group3

Aminreza Pournorouz

PSD

Why has Apple been so successful? What do you attribute

it to?
Generally the major source of success was the product design:
Rarely first to market
Reduced complexity (simplicity: one button for several functions)
Value creation oriented: Focused on designing what people need and want and then
engineering it. Removing or moving low value components for customers.
Fashionable and cool design
Say no to 1000 things to do fully focus on core job
Initial product as a platform: stable, reliable and easier to develop new products.
Intuitive user interface

Is there a systematic approach to innovation at Apple?

If yes, how would you characterize it? Can it be imitated?
If no, why not?
Yes, Apple has systematic approach to innovation. The company was founded to
challenge the idea of computing only for enterprise and simplified computers to
help individuals. So, from early time of company establishment Apple has a clear
design mentality and development strategy. Gradually this has become culture and
knowledge of company. Culture in the way that in the design process the major
focus is usability and simplicity for end users and knowledge of how capture user
behavior to design intuitive product and remove or move low value components of
computers. Beside, Stave Jobs leadership intensify or enforce development of
inactivate idea.

How do you see the future of Apple? What are key factors
working for or against the company? What can the firm do
to maintain or alleviate those factors?
Despite of lacking the same leader the company shall maintain the culture of
product design. Apple has deeper packet and stronger financial muscles to
experiment risky innovations.
However, the first market mover advantage in IT technology does not last so long.
The apple idea of initial product as platform may make them rigid to response
market as quick as possible (e.g. larger screen phone)
If Apple approaches toward enterprise market like major competitors (google,
Microsoft,...) they need to be more transparent (product road map, ). There is no
evidence that for instance product roadmap secrecy made Apple successful. [1]
Page 1 of 2

Seminar4-Group3

Aminreza Pournorouz

PSD

[1]: Justin Fox, Why Apple Has to Become More Open, Harward Business Review
Magazine, MARCH 11, 2013

Page 2 of 2