Comments

IBM / Lenovo screw up in the making (This ones going to be really interesting...) Hewlett packard. Rapid commodification of tech products everywhere....and then, there's Apple. So good to see a company that I remember being super cool when I was a kid winning becasue its cool in a way that few ever get to be: Its cool becasue its REAL. Its human, its a triumph of design and engineering.

What's the future? Hmmm...cool new products by smaller less well known firms where design IS IT!?

Chinese companies have the got the manufacturing, but by GOD the marketing is a disaster....ideas on the future of Hardware? Where does it go from here?

China Tactics Blog: http://radio.weblogs.com/0144104/

Posted by James Nash at February 11, 2005 12:37 PM

Can someone please tell me how a stock split will create millionaires? The value of the investment for each shareholder is still the same. Granted, this may make Apple stock more accessible to non-investors. However, not all stocks continue their growth after a split (take a look at Symantec).

Posted by Fred at February 11, 2005 1:29 PM

Fred : not really sure.. I'm speculating here..
::Apple, whose shares have almost quadrupled in value over the last year on the success of its Ipod music player, said it has set a 2-for-1 split. Its stock, which provided support to Nasdaq on a down day, rose 4.2 percent, or $3.37, to $81.68.

eh?? and then lets wait for Price movement -- after they luanch AirPortEXpress

Posted by /pd at February 11, 2005 1:41 PM

Love it since I own a few shares. Apple treats their talent extremely well - so short term / long term others may want to buy in.

Posted by Sean at February 11, 2005 2:00 PM

Where did you hear that Apple treats their talent extremely well? Are you referring to their employees or Apple's knowledge and expertise? If you're referring to the employees, you're mistaken.

Posted by Fred at February 11, 2005 2:19 PM

Fred - please detail how Apple doesn't treat their employees or associates well. I'm acquainted with their culture somewhat. Maybe the profit $$$$$$$$ makes me love them.

Posted by John at February 11, 2005 2:21 PM

John,
I'm not saying Apple doesn't treat their employees well. I'm just saying that Apple doesn't treat them "extremely" well. From what I've seen and heard from people that work there, Apple doesn't do anything extraordinary for their employees and they're pretty typical of companies here in the Bay Area.

Apple is doing really well now due to the iPod. Can they sustain the growth? We'll have to wait and see.

Posted by Fred at February 11, 2005 5:41 PM

Sorry to be a bit off topic, but Im one of the freaks you all occaisionally talk about. As a job-hating, non-manager, non-business person.. one of my first impressions after reading over Tom's blog is that most products/services/businesses you laud as "wow" are not as cool as you all think. (That said, Apple computers & the ipod are fairly cool).

The bar for "wow" is considerably lower in the business world than it is outside it. I mean, I've had plenty of Wow experiences in my life... but can't recall a single one that relates to a business... and certainly never one that related to a J-O-B. I've been astounded by books, and poems, and movies. I've been inspired by people and relationships. I've been moved by art.

But business? Perhaps the problem is that business people communicate with too many business people and read too many business books. The rest of us... we don't care. We HATE jobs. We HATE bureaucracies. We are bored to death by so called "revolutionary products" (an HP printer???? Any printer??? Yawn).

People are moved by greatness... by madness,... by beauty and magic and love and terror. Perhaps business people should junk the language and thought patterns of business- and adopt the language of poetry. Instead of "building a profitable business" how about "creating a great beautiful & elegant works of art". Business as a collaborative art project.

Instead of developing your brand.. how about developing your genius (ala Thoreau). Instead of following a mission statement (ugh), why not follow your bliss.

Who knows, profit might even follow... though not necessarily. But the thing is, outside of a few banal individuals, its not really money that motivates most people anyway. We are human beings, not machines (though I realize this is a radical idea in the corporate world). Rather than being THE CENTRAL PURPOSE, shouldn't monetary profit be a BYPRODUCT of passion and greatness?

My suggestion. Read fewer business books.

Posted by AJ Hoge at February 12, 2005 3:29 AM

AJ - read the website more broadly and stay tuned to Lovemark ideals.

Business is a sport that fuels free enterprise and freedom world-wide. Real estate and 'ownership' knowledge is key these days to fulfill passion and outstanding achievement - for example - plus minimizing tax burden.

Posted by Sean at February 12, 2005 1:29 PM

Isn't it interesting. AJ - the customer - speaks from his heart. And Brad - the businessperson - tells him to broaden his perspective. Brad, you have just proven AJ's point in spades.

Posted by Tom Asacker at February 12, 2005 1:46 PM

The customer and voter speaks with their pocketbook and not heart -

- those who "hate their job" like AJ may be free enterprise malcontents to a certain degree looking for a socialist lifestyle - Tom and AJ in Denmark may be perfect - you make my points and Dr. Tom's a slam dunk.

Posted by Sean at February 12, 2005 2:28 PM

"Perhaps business people should junk the language and thought patterns of business- and adopt the language of poetry. Instead of "building a profitable business" how about "creating a great beautiful & elegant works of art". Business as a collaborative art project."

Thats the smartest thing I have heard this year. Alot of what Tom (and others)try to encourage (and many of the readers here want to believe) is for businesses to GROW UP!

Where are we on the business cultural evolution ladder? probably alot further down than we think: "creating great beautiful & elegant works of art"???!!! Indeed!

Problem is, no matter how hard you try (" stay tuned with the Lovemarks ideal"), your customer isn't stupid, shes your wife; and a printer is JUST a printer when all is said and done. Creating a vibe where there is none merely further distances the customer from the company (are businesses "cheapening" human expereince now?) . Some things are not going to score high on the WOW! scale and trying to make them can make you and your company look - well... stupid. It is only a printer/ other thing for gods sake!

Business makes "Thingies" or the Version 2.0 - "Experiences" read:"thingies that make you go hmmmmm".

Business tends not to make things that truly blow your mind. Yet.

http://radio.weblogs.com/0144104/

Posted by James Nash at February 12, 2005 2:33 PM

James - Apple and Chinese business seem worlds apart. I see one Apple/USA role to be to spread free enterprise and ownership so that most everyone gets an earned piece of the pie ...

... and then is satisfied with their business and social lives - free to write poetry. China is a special case due to its ability to procreate billions of people - and now to make a run at trying to dominate via a free enterprise role while pillaging its environment [and communist philosophy].

Apple is a designer encore that provides a growth engine to support USA families.

Posted by Mike at February 12, 2005 4:32 PM

I wonder why Dell doesn't simply make white rounded products ala designer Apple - it must be a tick more expensive.

I have the gray gun-metal Dell laptop, et. al and it seems like a neutral color would be easy to make as an option.

Posted by Jack at February 12, 2005 7:07 PM

Sorry everyone this has gone off topic, but here goes:

Mike - I have been here for three years, working with Chinese organizations, and almost all of them have been "funded for advantage" with a free flow of capital from the government. This has driven great knowledge poverty among management teams and so on: it is indeed a far cry from the "spirit of free enterprise" that the US et al have developed.

The way a business develops here guarantees that it will not be a global player (at least in the oft heard ranting from Beijing about "Brand China")- It is designed for rapid funding of businesses frequently run by people who have no idea what they are doing, but because of the access to bundles of cash, they make things happen (often badly).

This contrasts starkly with the meritocratic, entrepreneurial system developed countries have - if you have a cool idea and work your guts you will feel good about having a crack at it and maybe build a successful company that "changes the world".

If you are Chinese, this is generally not the case. Position comes first (influence) and then you take advantage and grow your position by using connections to make money. This is inspiration zero. Vision Zero. Creation of cool is not on the radar. The purpose of C levels here is to make government relationships to secure further project funding (profitable or not, this is Chinese style cash-flow, kinda like a really badly run VC firm - you can read more about this on my blog here: http://radio.weblogs.com/0144104/ )

The interesting thing from a free enterprise / poetry writing, Mac designing, creationist business perspective (Good I don’t believe I wrote that!) is that there is very little in the way of creation and originality except among a few of the younger generations. China’s medium term future is in getting all the boring work from the US then using the cash to buy foreign products and services (Macs etc) giving their kids (often unknowingly) increasing exposure to the end product of creationist businesses: “Cool”/ engineering excellence/ good experience etc. Believe me: people don’t want to buy Chinese products in China (except the food!). Products have no pulse here and the younger generations in the cities are free to choose and a business with a pulse will always have the edge over one that doesn’t irrespective of the culture. Things get better - cultural evolution if you like.

Posted by James Nash at February 13, 2005 1:00 AM

Brad... First, your "malcontent" comment is right on target and I accept it as a compliment. I will indeed take your advice about reading this site. Tom is fantastic- but you must admit that he is a mutant in the corporate business world. During my years of work (even a stint as an intern at IBM if you can believe it)... I never once heard a manager utter the words "passion", "poetry", or "genius". I wish they would.

Second, I don't hate my job (currently a freelance writer & teacher) I hate the very IDEA of a JOB. I hate the concept of employment... doing other people's work on other people's orders... punching a clock... being a prisoner in an office. Work is great so long as you're doing that which brings you bliss. And while the business world doesn't do that for me I recognize that some people DO feel that way about it (Tom Peters, for one).

In fact, I would say that if business doesn't bring you bliss and passion and greatness.... perhaps you are in the wrong field.

I also disagree with the comment "The customer and voter speaks with their pocketbook and not heart". I imagine a great many people voted with their hearts in the last election. I also know that I choose many things based on heart...

For example, I spend a lot of time and a lot of money in coffee shops. Usually I choose cool/artsy independent shops and don't like Starbucks. However, there is one Starbucks in Bangkok that I go to constantly.

Why? The coffee is the same as every other Starbucks. The decor is similar. The menu is the same. The difference: the staff indulge me. They learned my name the first time I visited. After that they always talked to me... learned that I was a writer & teacher... memorized my favorite drinks.

They also found out that Im trying to learn Thai. Now they always speak to me in (very basic) Thai when I visit. They ask about my girlfriend. When Im working a long time, they bring water to my table and ask if I want anything else. They occaisonally give me free drinks. I now know most of their names. This place is no longer a bland corporate monolith: "Starbucks". Its the coffee shop where Yud, Kate, etc... work.

Come to think of it, this is a "Wow experience", though it has little to do with the company, coffee, or prices. These people have heart.... and that's why I go back again and again.

Posted by AJ Hoge at February 13, 2005 3:51 AM

AJ - I tend to agree about "jobs" - I've been with the US government for a 29 year career [just escaped DC for Albuquerque] ... so am on an upswing and close to retirement - however, the "management" part of managers is almost a total void in my experience with US government, Hilton and Albertsons.

It seems we MUST invest and not need a job - simplicity rules so the consumer USA society doesn't enslave us to the next Lexus, iPod, et. al.

I understand the "heart" part and am there too - and I think/feel opinion leaders like yourself can take us to that promised land of more opportunity.

Posted by Sean at February 13, 2005 7:10 AM

I can’t believe the irony here. When they sold computers in the last five years, their prospects were dismal but now that they are a consumer electronics leader, they are growing, splitting stock and basically partying like its 1999 all over again. My hats off to the company for turning things around when almost no body believed it could be done.

Posted by Rajat at February 13, 2005 5:13 PM

Apple / Snapple - the constant new invention and creation of SUPERIOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES - love it and celebrate it.

C'EST LA VIE as we sometimes say at the Montreal Hilton.

Posted by Sean at February 13, 2005 7:14 PM

Brad, re: "'ownership' knowledge is key these days to fulfill passion and outstanding achievement". I agree, but my concept of ownership is perhaps a little different. Its not owning stocks and real estate that is so important, but rather, owning your own life.

An example. My best friend's boyfriend, Wat, is from southern Thailand. He grew up in a "poor" family. He got a HS education but hated school and didn't do well in it. After school, he spent several years loafing. He joined a motorcycle "gang"-- the Black Angels-Easy Riders.

For the next several years he went to biker festivals and met tons of people. He also met a jeweler and learned the basics of silversmithing. A biker friend invited him to Phuket... where he continued to perfect his craft. He put a blanket on a street corner and sold jewelry to tourists. At this time he inexplicably developed an interest in Native American art, jewelry, and culture.

After a few years he grew tired of Phuket. Another friend was building a resort on a remote island and asked Wat to help. So for another three years he lived there, helped build the resort, loafed some more, and continued perfecting his jewelry craft. He started to mix "biker fashion" with "native American fashion".

Finally, the resort was finished and he was bored on the island. Yet another friend invited him to Bangkok... where he once more set out a blanket and sold jewelry. By this point, however, he had mastered the craft. His stuff sold like crazy. He couldn't handle all the work and so brought his brother to Bangkok and taught him the craft.

The jewelry kept selling. Soon some of the big jewelry stores noticed his work. They placed large wholesale orders through him. So Wat brought in several more friends to help.... he puts them up in a house for free-- and the house doubles as their workshop.

The most recent wrinkle is that his girlfriend is moving to Japan next month. Wat is going to go as well... mostly because he wants to be with her and travel. But he also realized that many of his most enthusiastic customers were Japanese tourists. It turns out he has a few friends in Japan (biker buddies who married Japanese girls). He called them and they are eager to help him get started.

So now he wants to start an import/export business to Japan. He will probably start, yet again, with a blanket and a sidewalk. His brother and friends will keep the Bangkok operation going. Wat has done all this without business training. He doesn't call it a "business".. he calls it "my art". He doesn't have "employees"... he has friends & collaborating artists. He doesn't "network"... he just has tons of friends. He has no "marketing strategy", he is just an extremely likable guy who has mastered his craft.

Wat will never be a millionaire. But he is living life on his own terms and doing quite well. That is my definition of "ownership".

Posted by AJ Hoge at February 13, 2005 10:47 PM

AJ - fabulous story - makes my day so far.

The next iteration may be that Wat makes the business his "art" from the heart and defines a new paradigm to make himself and 100's of friends wealthy, and healthy of course.

Posted by Sean at February 14, 2005 6:47 AM

Wwealth is not measured in $$$ value, rather in experinces and happiness !!

Good Story AJ !!

Posted by /pd at February 14, 2005 12:41 PM