ThereareveryfewpeopleintheworldtodaymorecloselyassociatedwithinnovationthanAppleco-founder,SteveJobs.HeistheclassicAmericanentrepreneurstartinghiscompanyinthesparebedroomofhisparentshouse,andpioneeringthefirstpersonalcomputerforeverydayuse.ThefamedNewYorkTimescolumnist,ThomasFriedman,wroteacolumninwhichhesaidAmericaneedsmorejobsSteveJobs.HemeantthatinnovationandcreativitymustbenurturedandencouragedtohelptheU.Sandothercountriesemergefromtheglobalrecession.EveryonewantstolearnmoreaboutSteveJobs,yetveryfewjournalistshaveidentifiedtheprinciplesthatdriveSteveJobsandhissuccess.Untilnow,thatis.TheInnovationSecretsofSteveJobs(McGraw-Hill,October,2010)revealsthe7principlesthatarelargelyresponsibleforhisbreakthroughsuccess;principlesthathaveguidedSteveJobsforhisentirecareerand,moreimportant,principlesyoucanadopttodayto“thinkdifferently”aboutyourcompany,productorservice.SteveJobshassomethingtoteachyouaboutyourcareer,yourbusiness,andyourbrand.Hethinksdifferentlyabouteveryaspectofbusinessfromproductdesigntomarketingtocommunications.Herearethe7principlesresponsibleforJobsbreakthroughsuccess.PrincipleOne:Dowhatyoulove.Passioniseverything.Innovationwhichsimplymeansnewwaysofdoingthingsthatimproveourlives-cannotflourishunlessyouaretrulyobsessedwithmakingsomethingbetterbeitaproduct,aservice,amethodoracareer.“Havethecouragetofollowyourheartandintuition.Theysomehowalreadyknowwhatyoutrulywanttobecome.”Jobshasfollowedhishearthisentirecareerandthatpassion,hesays,hasmadeallthedifference.Itsverydifficulttocomeupwithnew,creativeideasthatmovesocietyforwardifyouarenotpassionateaboutthesubject.In1972,SteveJobsdroppedoutofReedCollegeinPortlandafterjustonesemester.Hestayedanother18monthsto“dropin”tothoseclassesheenjoyed,likecalligraphy.CalligraphydidnthaveanyobviouspracticalapplicationinhislifebutitwouldcomebacktoJobswhenhecreatedtheMac.TheMacintoshwastheworldsfirstcomputerwithbeautifulfontsandtypography.IfSteveJobshadntfollowedhispassion,wedstillbeenteringlinecommands.“Beingtherichestmaninthecemeterydoesntmattertome.Goingtobebedatnightsayingwevedonesomethingwonderfulthatswhatmatterstome.”“Passionwontprotectyouagainstsetbacks,butitwillensurethatnofailureiseverfinal.”BillStrickland“Idontmindfailure.Ivealwaysthoughtthatschoolchildrenshouldbemarkedbythenumberoffailurestheyvehad.”JamesDysonHowtodofindyourpassion?Passionsarethoseideasthatdontleaveyoualone.Theyarethehopes,dreamsandpossibilitiesthatconsumeyourthoughts.Followthosepassionsdespiteskepticsandnaysayerswhodonothavethecouragetofollowtheirdreams.PrincipleTwo:Putadentintheuniverse.Thisspeakstovision.Innovationdoesnttakeplaceinavacuum.Youneedtoknowwhereyouregoing,whattheultimatedestinationis,andyouneedtoinspireothers,evangelists.“Weregamblingonourvision,andwedratherdothatthanmakeme-tooproducts.”SteveJobshasneverunderestimatedthepowerofvisiontomoveabrandforward.In1976,SteveWozniakwascaptivatedbyJobsvisionto“putacomputerinthehandsofeverydaypeople.”In1979,JobstookatouroftheXeroxresearchfacilityinPaloAlto,California.Therehesawanewtechnologythatletusersinteractwiththecomputerviacolorfulgraphicaliconsonthescreeninsteadofenteringcomplexlinecommands.Itwascalleda“graphicaluserinterface.”Inthatmoment,Jobsknewthatthistechnologywouldallowhimtofulfillhisvisionofputtingacomputerinthehandsofeverydaypeople.JobslatersaidthatXeroxcouldhave“dominated”thecomputerindustrybutinsteaditsvisionwaslimitedtobuildinganothercopier.Twopeoplecanseethesamethingbutperceiveitdifferentlybasedontheirvision.SteveJobssetoutwithavisiontochangetheworld.Whatsyourvisionforyourproduct,brand,andyourcareer?Passionfuelstherocket,butvisionpointstherockettoitsultimatedestination.PrincipleThree:Kickstartyourbrain.Creativityleadstoinnovativeideas.Jobsbelievesthatabroadsetofexperiencesexpandsourunderstandingofthehumanexperience.Abroaderunderstandingleadstobreakthroughsthatothersmayhavemissed.Breakthroughinnovationrequirescreativityandcreativityrequiresthatyouthinkdifferentlyaboutthewayyouthink.“Creativityisjustconnectingthings.”Theideafellfromatree,literally.SteveJobshadreturnedfromvisitingacommune-likeplaceinOregonlocatedinanappleorchard.Appleco-founderandJobspal,SteveWozniak,pickedhimupfromtheairport.Onthedrivehome,Jobssimplysaid,“IcameupwithanameforourcompanyApple.”Wozniaksaidtheycouldhavetriedtocomeupwithmoretechnicalsoundingnamesbuttheirvisionwastomakecomputersapproachable.Applefitperfectly.DalaiLamaIndiaFourSeasonsMercedes-BenzCalligraphyApplesSteveJobscreatesnewideaspreciselybecausehehasspentalifetimeexploringnewandunrelatedthingsseekingoutdiverseexperiences.Jobshiredpeoplefromoutsidethecomputingprofession,hestudiedtheartofcalligraphyincollege,meditatedinanIndianashram,andevaluatedTheFourSeasonshotelchainashedevelopedthecustomerservicemodelfortheAppleStores.Lookoutsideyourindustryforinspiration.“PartofwhatmadetheMacintoshgreatwasthatthepeopleworkingonitweremusicians,andpoets,andartists,andzoologists,andhistorianswhoalsohappenedtobethebestcomputerscientistsintheworld.”PrincipleFour:Selldreams,notproducts.Yourcustomersdontcareaboutyourproduct,yourcompanyoryourbrand.Theycareaboutthemselves,theirhopes,theirdreams,theirambitions.Helpthemfulfilltheirdreamsandyouwillthemover.“Thepeoplewhoarecrazyenoughtochangetheworldaretheoneswhodo.”AppleAdSteveJobsdoesntrelyonfocusgroups.Ifhehad,theymayneverhaveenjoyediPods,iTunes,theiPhone,theiPad,orAppleStores.Jobsdoesnotneedfocusgroupsbecauseheunderstandshiscustomersreally,reallywell.Yes,sometimesbetterthantheyknowthemselves!WhenJobsreturnedtoApplein1997aftera12-yearabsence,Applefacedanuncertainfuture.JobsclosedhispresentationthatyearatMacworldinBostonwithanobservationthatsetthetoneforApplesresurgence:“IthinkyouhavetothinkdifferentlytobuyanApplecomputer.Alotoftimespeoplethinktheyrecrazy,butinthatcrazinessweseegenius.”WhenJobsreturnedtoApplein1997aftera12-yearabsence,Applefacedanuncertainfuture.JobsclosedhispresentationthatyearatMacworldinBostonwithanobservationthatsetthetoneforApplesresurgence:“IthinkyouhavetothinkdifferentlytobuyanApplecomputer.Alotoftimespeoplethinktheyrecrazy,butinthatcrazinessweseegenius.”PrincipleFive:Saynoto1,000things.“Innovationcomesfromsayingnoto1,000thingstomakesurewedontgetonthewrongtrackortrytodotoomuch.”JonathanIve,Appledesignguru:“Weareabsolutelyconsumedbytryingtodevelopasolutionthatisverysimple,becauseasphysicalbeingsweunderstandclarity.”Yourcustomersdemandsimplicityandsimplicityrequiresthatyoueliminateanythingthatclutterstheuserexperience.SteveJobsreducedcomplexityintheSmartphonecategorybyeliminatingthekeyboard.TheiPadissosimplea2-year-oldcanuseit.TheAppleWebsitefeaturesoneproduct.“Getridofthecrappystuffandfocusonthegoodstuff.”SteveJobsadvicetothenewNikeCEO,MarkParker.ThedesignersbehindthewildlypopularFlipvideocamerafoundinspirationinAppleproducts.Theirgoalanyoneshouldbeabletoenjoyitoutoftheboxin30seconds.MickMountz,theCEOofKivaSystemsandaformerAppleemployee,saidhedesignedthesewarehouserobotsafteraskinghimself,“WhatwouldStevedo?”SimplicityistheeliminationofclutterforAppleandNobu.PrincipleSix:Createinsanelygreatexperiences.“Peopledontwanttojustbuypersonalcomputersanymore.Theywanttoknowwhattheycandowiththem,andweregoingtoshowpeopleexactlythatJobshasmadetheAppleStorethegoldstandardincustomerservicebyintroducingsimpleinnovationsanybusinesscanadopttocreatedeeper,moreemotionalconnectionswiththeircustomers.Forexample,therearenocashiersinanApplestore.Thereareexperts,consultants,evengeniuses,butnocashiers.ApplecreatedaninnovativeretailexperiencebystudyingacompanyknownforitscustomerexperienceTheFourSeasons.AppleStoreswouldattractshoppersnotbymovingboxes,butby“enrichinglives.”Thelessondontmove“product.”Enrichlivesinsteadandwatchyoursalessoar.12345CarminesexperiencebuyingaMacBookproattheApplestorewaslikebeingsetuponadateandestablishingalife-longcommitmenttothebrand.ABTElectronicsinChicagoalsosoughtinspirationoutsideconventionalnorms.TheLobbylooksliketheatriumattheBellagiohotelinLasVegas,completewithdancingwaterfountain.ABTevenbuiltanaquariuminspiredbythegiantfishtankbehindthecheckindeskattheLasVegasMiragehotel.“Ifyoujustthinkaboutwhatmakescustomersandemployeeshappy,intodaysworldthatendsupbeinggoodforbusiness.”TonyHsieh,ZapposCEOPrincipleSeven:Masterthemessage.“Youbakedareallylovelycakebutthenyouusedforfrosting.”Youcanhavethemostinnovativeideaintheworld,butifyoucantgetpeopleexcitedaboutit,itdoesntmatter.SteveJobsisconsideredoneofthegreatestcorporatestorytellersintheworldbecausehispresentationsinform,educateandentertain.TherearenobulletpointsinaSteveJobspresentationTitleMostPowerPointslidesareaconfusing,convolutedmess.ThisisarealPowerPointslideusedbytheU.Smilitary.Ifcommanderscanunderstandthis,theycanwinthewar.SteveJobsthinksvisuallyaboutpresentingideas,products,andinformation.Simplicity:TheEliminationofClutterInApplesdesignworld,simplicityistheeliminationofclutter.ThesameholdstrueforaSteveJobspresentation.PictureSuperiorityEffect(PSE)BIRD10%65%Ifinformationispresentedverbally,youraudiencewillremember10%oftheinformation.Attachapictureandretentiongoesupto65%.Textandimagesaresomuchmoreinterestingthanbulletpointsalone.DontletthebozosgetyoudownOnemorethingInnovationtakesconfidence,boldnessandthedisciplinetotuneoutnegativevoices.“Wedontneedyou.Youhaventgottenthroughcollegeyet.”“Getyourfeetoffmydesk.Getoutofhere.Youstinkandwerenotgoingtobuyyourproduct.”“Yourproblemisthatyoustillbelievethewaytogrowistoservecaviarinaworldthatseemsprettycontentwithcheeseandcrackers.”“Theresnoreasonwhyanyonewouldwantacomputerintheirhome.”Imaginehowoneyoungmanwithbigdreamsmusthavefeltwhenheheardthefollowing.Ofcourse,thesestatementswerealldirectedatonetimeoranothertoSteveJobs.“Donttheletnoiseofothersopinionsdrownoutyourowninnervoice.”“Dreambigger.”PerhapstheultimatelessonthatJobsteachesusisthatinnovationrequiresrisk-takingandrisktakingtakescourageandabitofcraziness.Seegeniusinyourcraziness.Believeinyourselfandyourvisionandbepreparedtoconstantlydefendthosebeliefs.Onlythenwillinnovationbeallowedtoflourishandonlythenwillyoubeabletoleadan“insanelygreat”life.