When I worked at Apple, every executive knew exactly how their products worked and the key actions customers were taking to successfully use those products. Every single one.
They didn't need a map or a blueprint. They had to have this level of familiarity because:
- Apple chose to win in the market through superior product design
- It was needed to design, build, and ship the high quality products that delivered those wins
I can't tell you how rare this has been at other companies I've worked at. I can't tell you how many times I've sat with executives who had no idea how their products worked or the key actions customers were taking to use those products.
After I left Apple and first encountered this, I was both astounded and frankly, infuriated. I believed there was only one way to do things well and win in business: superior product design. If I'm honest, I felt like they didn't know what they were doing and that in the end, it would be clear that I did. (this was pre-"do self work" Ryan).
Over time though, I came to see things differently.
At these other companies, the execs didn't need to know the exact actions their customers were taking or how their product worked. They needed to be intimately familiar with how the company chose to win in the market. They knew everything about pricing, advertising, bundling, risk, licensing, etc. because they needed to deliver wins in those ways.
Over time, my judgmental takes faded away.
I learned a lot about business from these people, but the biggest lesson I learned was how important it was for me to work for companies that chose to win through superior design. This lesson made me notice how few companies make this choice. It made me realize that if I were to pursue a role at one of these companies, how little choice my family and I would have on where and how we lived.
This is the backstory of why I started working for myself.
There was no specific moment. I never knew when I was ready. I just came to a point in my life where I had no other choice. I had to work at a company that chose to win through superior design, so I had to create that company. I had to work at a company that didn't conflict with where and how our family wanted to live, so I had to create that company.
After six years, I still have to have these two things.
- Am I producing superior products to the market? I believe so. The feedback I receive fuels this belief.
- Am I winning in business? Still TBD.
- Is my family living where and how we want to? Absolutely.
Though it's more noise than signal, my experience is that when execs know how the product(s) work and the key actions customers take to use those products successfully, that a good sign the company chose to win through superior product design. If that's what you need to be working on, I'd pay attention to that. It might be the signal you need to see on whether or not you should start your own company.