Tag Archives: Innovation

Books

The Macintosh Way

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The Macintosh Way is Guy Kawasaki’s vision of “doing the right thing and doing things right”. This book is a nostalgic reference to one of the greatest eras in modern computing – the 80s. Essentially, it is an insider’s look at the Art of Guerrilla Management and is a very effective game plan to building a lasting organization. Apple is one of the elite technology companies in the world and has been that way since its inception.

1984 was the introduction of the Macintosh which ushered in a whole new era of computing. As the chief evangelist for Apple, Guy leads you into the trenches of doing battle at Apple and creating game changing products. If you have read some of Guy’s other books, such as The Art of The Start, then you may recognize his fun, breezy writing style. The book is engaging and sprinkled with wit and humor throughout the pages which makes the story of Apple seem even more epic. 

Doing The Right Thing

When it comes to establishing a Macintosh Way environment, the top guy is the most important factor. They reflect the personality of the organization. If the top guy changes perspective so goes the organization. If the top guy is “the man” and has unstifled creative control over the company then the organization will be unstoppable.

5 Special Characteristics Of The Top Guy (for all the entrepreneurs reading)

  1. Passion for products
  2. Strong sense of security
  3. Willingness to give employees rope
  4. Ability to live vicariously
  5. Chutzpah 

Secondly, hiring the right people and instilling the correct values is critical to running an effective Macintosh Way organization. 

A players hire A players, while B players hire C players

The Macintosh Way book coverBeing a Macintosh Way company means making your best effort, putting everything on the line and swinging for the fences. Even when Macintosh Way companies fail, they do it with style and the knowledge that they gave it their best shot. Every experience is something to gain.

Product development is an art, not an assembly line process. It is very much both an intellectual and artistic endeavor that is almost impossible to master. A Macintosh Way company knows this and puts it into action. There are four characteristics of a great product: Deep, Indulgent, Complete and Elegant (DICE).

Great service is the third essential ingredient of the Macintosh Way. Support should be ingrained into every company regardless of cost. Instead of viewing support as an extra cost, make it the utmost priority. Service is the first line of defense for your customers problems, and understanding your customer is essential to making great products. The Macintosh Way companies do things right for the sake of doing things right. 

How great support works

  1. Put the customer in control 
  2. Take responsibility for your shortcomings
  3. Don’t point the finger
  4. Under promise and overdeliver

How to integrate great support

  1. Hire the right people
  2. Empower employees to empower customers
  3. Integrate support into the mainstream
  4. Provide the support staff with diversions
  5. Thank your customers 

Marketing is the fourth essential ingredient of The Macintosh Way. Rather than focusing on the technology used for marketing, The Macintosh Way advises to focus rather on the marketing of the technology. Substance over form. Grab the hearts and minds of your customer and you will have their attention.

Doing Things Right

In terms of doing the right thing user groups, communities, key influencers and cults are vital to getting to the heart of your customers. Members of the user group support one another on the overall vision and, in essence, will vouch for the company as evangelists. 

Cult Of MacEvangelism is selling a dream. It is getting other people to believe in your product because they love it. There is no “convincing” people that your product is better. The outstanding product, customer service and brand should speak for itself. 

At its core your company should have the right environment, products, customer support and informative marketing. And the positioning must be clear. 

This book is a gem. Good luck finding a copy.

Knowing how Apple exists at its core can reap great dividends in the future when it comes to launching your own particular software on an Apple platform. In an era where Apple dominates mobile computing and the app marketplace, it would behoove fans to learn more about its history, philosophy and culture.

The Macintosh Way

The Macintosh Way

Author:
Tag: Recommended Books
Publisher: Scott Foresman Trade
Publication Year: 1989
ASIN: 0673461750
ISBN: 0673461750

The Macintosh Way is a "take-no-prisoners guide to marketing warfare" says Jean Louis Gasse, founder and president of Be, Inc. Must reading for anyone in the high-tech industry, it is valuable, insightful guide to innovation management and marketing for any industry.

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About the Book

The Macintosh Way is a “take-no-prisoners guide to marketing warfare” says Jean Louis Gasse, founder and president of Be, Inc. Must reading for anyone in the high-tech industry, it is valuable, insightful guide to innovation management and marketing for any industry.

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The Macintosh Way by Guy Kawasaki

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Books

Disrupt You! Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation

Disrupt You! Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation Header

Disrupt You! Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation by Jay Samit is a thrilling encapsulation of the skills and insights it takes to truly disrupt not only yourself, but entire industries. If you are stuck on a project or looking for fresh, new ideas this book will fill your head with creative visions. By starting with the fundamentals, which is disrupting oneself, it teaches the brain to look for new perspectives and solutions to solving things. It is important to know oneself. Some simple ways to get started are to take a personality test, read a book, change your environment, find mentors or disrupt your thinking internally.

As Albert Einstein likes to say, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

My favorite section of the book is near the beginning where Jay mentions seeing oneself as a brand and strategizing your personal output: “A brand of one. The links in your personal value chain constitute your unique brand. The research and development links are defined by your education, your previous work experience, and the sources you pursue to find a job in the first place. The work you do – its quality and content – makes up the design and production links. The way you present yourself professionally constitutes the marketing and sales links in your personal value chain. And where you work, with whom you work, and where you devote your professional energies determine your distribution link. Think about your professional value as the combination of these links in the chain. If you are struggling to get a job, or if you are ready to make a career transition, all you need to do is target the link ripest for disruption.”

For those looking to build personal brands, following this system would be a brilliant place to start.

Disrupt You Book Cover

Jay then walks you through the disruptors map between various other companies and their stories. Jay then shares his transformative journey of how he disrupted the music industry in a multitude of areas from branding and celebrity endorsement to the transformation of physical discs towards digital distribution. The truth of it all, is that most disruption comes from careful, methodical observation. Oftentimes a simple idea with straightforward execution is all that it takes for an idea to become a hit.

Guerilla marketing is at the core of how the music industry markets itself and Jay doesn’t skimp when it comes to sharing the strategies he has used and witnessed to success. From MTV to Sony to Apple there are valuable insights one can learn across all industries. In fact, you wouldn’t believe how starved the major publications, i.e Forbes and The Huffington Post are for fresh content every single day.

With the power of crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, open research centers and open source communities it is now literally possible to not only share your greatest ideas with like minded individuals but also work with them and collaborate on projects with complex needs. The Internet helped to disrupt information, communication, access and media. Technologies like 3D printing will disrupt basically every physical industry, while Virtual Reality will be a blend of these two. By recognizing the root of what is causing us problems and discovering the links that can connect the dots between the solutions, a disruptive entrepreneur can literally identify trends before they happen. Remember that the greatest competitive advantage of humans at the core of it all is our ability to gain knowledge and use tools and that the most valuable resource is time.

Disrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation

Disrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation

Author:
Tag: Recommended Books
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Year: 2015
ASIN: B00NS3FO2K
ISBN: 1250059372

In today's volatile business landscape, adaptability and creativity are more crucial than ever. It is no longer possible-or even desirable-to learn one set of job skills and to work your way up the ladder. At the same time, entrepreneurs with great ideas for new products or technologies that could c...

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About the Book

In today’s volatile business landscape, adaptability and creativity are more crucial than ever. It is no longer possible-or even desirable-to learn one set of job skills and to work your way up the ladder. At the same time, entrepreneurs with great ideas for new products or technologies that could change the world often struggle to capture the attention of venture capital firms and incubators; finding the funding necessary to launch a start-up can feel impossible. The business leaders of our future must anticipate change to create their own opportunities for personal satisfaction and professional success. In Disrupt You!, Jay Samit, a digital media expert who has launched, grown, and sold start-ups and Fortune 500 companies alike, describes the unique method he has used to invent new markets and expand established businesses.

Samit has been at the helm of businesses in the ecommerce, digital video, social media, mobile communications, and software industries, helping to navigate them through turbulent economic times and guide them through necessary transformation so that they stay ahead of the curve. In Disrupt You!, he reveals how specific strategies that help companies flourish can be applied at an individual level to help anyone can achieve success and lasting prosperity-without needing to raise funds from outside investors.

Incorporating stories from his own experience and anecdotes from other innovators and disruptive businesses-including Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, YouTube, Circ du Soleil, Odor Eaters, Iams, Silly Putty, and many more-Samit shows how personal transformation can reap entrepreneurial and professional rewards. Disrupt You! offers clear and empowering advice for anyone looking to break through; for anyone with a big idea but with no idea how to apply it; and for anyone worried about being made irrelevant in an era of technological transformation. This engaging, perspective-shifting book demystifies the mechanics of disruption for individuals and businesses alike.

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Disrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation

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