How did something as simple as the iPod dominate the market?
Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple and creator of the iPod, really got back to basics, thinking about what people wanted and what there was a need for – and not overthinking it.
At the time, mp3 players were complicated to use and couldn’t hold too many songs. So Jobs decided to make one with lots of space and that was easy to use – by plugging it into the program iTunes on a computer, downloaded music syncs automatically with the iPod. In addition, the interface was easy to use and understand (anyone could pick it up and figure out how to use it), it looked really cool and had a cool name.
Why didn’t competitors do what Jobs did? All he did was think about what people wanted…and gave it to them. And even though the iPod was at a higher price point than competitors’ mp3 players, because it offered more of what they wanted, it was easier for them to part with their money.
The lesson learned here is get back to basics and figure out what people really want. By doing that, you might think of some really great ideas, whether they’re for products for your business, marketing your business or leveraging your business another way.
