Learn from Looking at Your Competitors
Never be dismissive. Sometimes hyped companies and competitors are just that – hyped. But often there are some kernels of magic that are happening in that place that’s helping propel them in to a place that you wish you were.
Learn more.
Portable Computing vs. Microsoft
What coincided with this was the emergence of portable computing. The MacBook became easily differentiable as a “better” laptop. It was not faster, did not have more storage or any key metrics being used to sell PCs. It was just better as an integrated product. The integration manifested itself through a sense of quality and robustness as well as intangibles like aesthetics and “feel”.
The future is mobile. Apple’s rise is simply because they’ve done mobile the best: Laptop, phone (sized computer) and then tablet (sized computer).
"He was simply running because that’s what he did, and that’s who he was."
Apple’s position atop the industry may prove fleeting. But right now, Apple is Secretariat at the Belmont. And the company, to a person, seems hell-bent on not letting any competitor catch up.
Gruber’s connection is excellent. Apple does indeed seem like they are going to stay far ahead of competitors for quite some time. But the Belmont race wasn’t about the other horses for Secretariat, and I don’t think the new iPad is about the other tablets for Apple.
Everyone else is 31 lengths back.
What is more interesting about the metaphor, is what the Belmont Stakes said about Secretariat, and what the current product line says about Apple. A quote from the comments about the Secretariat photo:
What is most impressive, and less well known, is the fact that in this 1.5 mile race he ran each consecutive quarter mile faster than the previous one. That’s six quarter mile segments and he got faster with each. For the last half mile he was alone, without competition, proving that he was simply running because that’s what he did, and that’s who he was. The culmination of superior breeding, he was one of the very few who actually was what he was supposed to be. Awesome.
Tim Cook and team aren’t sitting in a room trying to plan out how they will beat a competitor. They spend their time trying to plan how they will beat themselves each and every lap.
They are one of the few companies who are what they are supposed to be: a consumer product company making the best consumer products they can. They are 31 lengths ahead, and they are not looking back.
Apple doesn't dig in the same spot
The iPad was not designed to be all things for all people. How much better would the iPad need to be selling to convince these pundits that Apple nailed it, that they struck gold with the iPad’s concept and execution? There may well be gold in other spots on the tablet frontier, but Apple is going to keep digging in the same spot.
This isn’t so black and white. Pundits, who want Apple to sell a $200 iPad, paint it as black and white. Gruber, who thinks Apple is a runaway success, paints it as black and white.
Apple isn’t going to try to dig where others are already digging, but Apple isn’t going to keep digging in the same spot. I think even Apple knows that competitors may still rise up, and they need to continue to make the best products.
No amount of iPad sales will stop the pundits from pontificating. But, we hope also, no amount of iPad sales will stop Apple from innovating.
