Car makers, Steve Jobs and product design
by Phil on February 21, 2012
‘Too many cars, too few buyers’ in this weeks Economist talks about how premium car brands are thriving where the mid-market volume brands are not so much. One possible reason given is…
The bosses of the German [car makers] tend to be lifelong “car nuts” whereas the French carmakers’ bosses tend to have parachuted in from other industries”
This reminded me of another thing I read this week, Steve Jobs solved the innovator’s dilemma. It’s an old post from last year but my takeaway was this:
He knew the company had to make money to stay alive, but he transitioned the focus of Apple away from profits. Profit was viewed as necessary, but not sufficient, to justify everything Apple did.
The drive for great products and great experiences has lead the way if you’re to going to make a dent, and like Hugh said the market for something to believe in is infinite.
One comment
I have been thinking a lot about these kinds of things. For me it all comes back to design and purpose. The making of something that is designed for a purpose other than how much money it makes. It must be designed for someone. Not the ‘average consumer’ but clearly designed to fulfill a meaningful purpose.
From the Steve Jobs article…
“My passion has been to build an enduring company where people were motivated to make great products. The products, not the profits, were the motivation.”
So many industries need to realise this, not least the one I work in.
PS beer some time soon?
by Aden Davies on February 21, 2012 at 10:33 pm. #