The Real Genius of Steve Jobs

The Steve Jobs interview in Newsweek has a not-so-hidden lesson for Microsoft regarding its new Zune competitor to iPod. Jobs says, "I've seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you've gone through all that, the girl's got up and left! You're much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you're connected with about two feet of headphone cable." Something tells me he's right (other than my USC students). So how is the Zune so different and better than the iPod? Why is it going to succeed where others including the mighty Sony have failed? Nothing is worse than doing something that doesn't need to be done even if you do it well. Jobs could have saved Microsoft a lot of money. The betting is Zune may be a Thanksgiving turkey. But if you're in radio, television, satellite, mobile or even a start up Internet venture take heed. That Baby Boomer Jobs is such a Gen Y'er. How is it that he and Apple have a proven record of knowing their market so well that they rarely make a mistake. I think the answer is that he does things well and does them simply. Well and simply. Lessons from the Zenmaster whose iPod device forced the record and radio industry out of the music and broadcasting business as we know it.