No, Steve was not directly involved with Energy Circle. I never worked for him, or even shook his hand, but his impact on our company has been very real.
Research and Intuition.
Of all the things you can say about Steve Jobs’ brilliance, what’s foremost for me is that he led us. I had no idea I needed an mp3 player. Not a clue that most of my reading would shift from paper to a digital tablet. No amount of market research could have identified in advance the massive markets that Steve saw. On what research went into the iPad, he said: “None. It’s not the consumer’s job to know what they want.”
I suspect that the real truth is that Apple is both highly analytical and data driven; but Steve was brilliant at balancing research with a stunning vision of where the world was going.
Design and Restraint.
Without Steve Jobs, great business design might be a niche. His commitment to design began with a simple love of good typography (his infamous calligraphy course). It extended to the moment of truth of opening the packaging of an Apple product, and ultimately with the experience of how incredibly intuitive and useful Apple products are. This is a testament to the extraordinary value of great design.
More than anything else, Jobs’ gift in the design realm was about restraint. Apple relentlessly resisted the trap, so easy in technology, of adding features just because you can.
Communications and Impact.
Brilliantly, Apple (featuring and led by Steve) elevated the lowly PowerPoint presentation to a tour de force. His performances were worth watching just for the art form, but were stunning because of their reach and impact.
Whether presenting on the topic of web marketing for home performance professionals at conferences nationwide, guiding the overhaul of Energy Circle PRO's administrative interface (currently in progress), or communicating the importance of increased efficiency across all sectors of our economy in the context of an impending energy emergency (yes, it's coming; and yes, it will be equally as world-changing as the iPod), Jobs' influence manifests itself daily in our company, whether we realize it or not. This is useful to reflect upon as we think back on the life of an innovator who changed not only technology, and business, but the way that we get things done.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The rebels. The troublemakers. The ones who see things differently. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.”
Thank you, Steve Jobs.
Comments
And like Steve Jobs, you, and EnergyCircle.com are helping consumers get to where we want (and need) to be. Making it easier. Making it natural and pragramatic, and fun. Maybe we don't know it yet, but we want to go where you are willing to take us, step by step. Thanks for that.
Posted by Anonymous on Oct 6, 2011 4:55pm