Steve’s company has a new product in the pipeline, the iPhone. Besides the hype of simply another i-Product, the product seems to be a rather consequent move into a new market segment, founded on the technologies, marketing and design capabilities Apple Inc. achieved several benchmarks during the last years. I cannot say what is so damn new and great about the produt yet, a touch screen is not new to a smartphone (look at the P990i from SonyEricsson), so maybe it is size, performance and usability that might help for Apple to leapfrog competition. But this to me is rather irrelevant and not too interesting. Also I believe nobody should underrate Nokia, they have only waited for a competitor that is fit to hold the candle to them. What I adore about Steve Jobs is his rhethorics in keynote speeches. His thinking is of purety, consistence and simplicity aiming clearly at the business target. Surely, Apple is not only great on the more difficult end, developing the necessary high performance technology. It must be damn hard work to let products look and work so easily. Even more Apple, and this to me is the highlight of brand and corporation, has a clear vision of how societies in the west world evolve (e.g. going mobile) and what product this (singular!) society desires (e.g. devices supporting a high end mobile lifestyle). Due to the unity of the Apples guys lifestyle and the lifestyle many people want or luckily share, they have a pretty good idea of what a device needs to deliver to be regarded as a useful or beautiful product. Or what it needs to be sold like to be really desired – it is a It-Device – not bag. That is why Apple certainly not only is a technology company, but also a lifestyle corporation. It almost is assured that people want these products irrelevant of price (you can afford it or you don’t), service and quality delivered. There is no real data available how good the Apple quality is, but my personal experience with MacBook Pro and the 5G IPod shows that Apples growth is eventually turning out to be at risk. Quality problems are not a few in corporation that grows so fast and anorganic. But does it matter to sales as long as these quality doubts are being overdubbed by gigantic marketing budget? Every damn serious TV show on the planet reports that Apple launches a new gizmo. This is unbelievable but explains the effect their products have on our lifestyle – these products can sustainably change our consumed products and thereby our lifes on the superficial side. Everybody will long for this IPhone, so can you think of a better PR job? I can’t. I have just one idea left for Apple to skyrocket their profits and create more pain to the consumer instead of bad quality: Artificial scarcity! Just as Rolex does it, guys! That all aside let’s focus again on the people that make Apple Apple: Steve Jobs explains it all at his impressive speech he gave at Stanford grads. Hey, he was pretty luck to survive pancreas cancer! Anyhow, what can you business wise learn about him? Obviously a lot about sales. How do you sell best Apple style? You do not have to market a product if you want to sell, you need to sell the consumer the life he wants and give him the tool so he/she can live it! Great job, Jobs, chapeau!