Product Development

Jobs answers the question “What’s important to you in the development of a product?” with a dig at John Sculley’s Apple:

You know, one of the things that really hurt Apple was after I left John Sculley got a very serious disease. It’s the disease of thinking that a really great idea is 90% of the work. And if you just tell all these other people “here’s this great idea,” then of course they can go off and make it happen.

And the problem with that is that there’s just a tremendous amount of craftsmanship in between a great idea and a great product. And as you evolve that great idea, it changes and grows. It never comes out like it starts because you learn a lot more as you get into the subtleties of it. And you also find there are tremendous tradeoffs that you have to make. There are just certain things you can’t make electrons do. There are certain things you can’t make plastic do. Or glass do. Or factories do. Or robots do.

Designing a product is keeping five thousand things in your brain and fitting them all together in new and different ways to get what you want. And every day you discover something new that is a new problem or a new opportunity to fit these things together a little differently.

And it’s that process that is the magic.

His words are pretty much sumed up what I’ve come to learn these days. (Web) Product Development is not an easy task. The idea is not everything. When you really sit down and make a detailed plan, there’s a lot more to learn and think about: process, people, when and how, what and why.

And the best way - I have learned - is to get great people, discuss with them, debate and challenge the idea, until you get a clear plan. Then the project is okay to go.

“I’m coming to Paros”

Fox’s Filmed Entertainment co-chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos writes about friendship, the sometimes tense negotiations with iTunes and the studios, Jobs’ surprising e-mail and the legend’s last words to him.

“I’m coming to Paros.” Hearing those words was much scarier than you’d think.

During the spring and summer of 2006, Steve Jobs was negotiating with Fox and other studios to expand iTunes from selling digital music and TV shows to selling feature films. I had known Steve for several years, and as usual, he had very strong views — in this instance, about how movies on iTunes should be priced, marketed and presented to his growing base of devoted followers.

…

We argued and debated back and forth into the summer, and as August arrived, we remained a fair distance apart. So, as a respite from Relentless Steve, I sneaked off to my annual retreat on the tiny island of Antiparos, near Paros in Greece.

I thought I was safe. But not from Steve. He stalked me, eventually sending this e-mail:

From: Steve Jobs
Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 16:51:12 -0700
To: Jim Gianopulos
Cc: Steve Jobs
Subject: I’m coming to Paros

Jim,

We need to talk and if that’s not possible over the phone or via e-mail, then I need to come to Paros and go for a walk on the beach with you and resolve this. The time is now to begin creating a new online distribution vehicle for movies, and Apple is the company to do it. I need your help.

How do I find you once I get to the airport on Paros?

Thanks,

Steve

He never made it to Paros, but we eventually made a deal, and it evolved into a great friendship, one that I will always cherish.