The North Star has always been the same, which for us, is about making insanely great products that really change the world in some way - enrich people's lives.
Tim CookRead
If you look at iPod, iPod wasn't viewed as a success, but today it's viewed as an overnight success. The iPhone was the same way. People were writing about there's no physical keyboard. Obviously nobody would want it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Success is often recognized in hindsight, despite initial skepticism.
Tim Cook's quote highlights how products that initially faced doubt and criticism can later be celebrated as successes. The iPod and iPhone both exemplified this phenomenon, where early misgivings about their design and functionality transformed into accolades over time, illustrating that innovation often meets resistance before gaining acceptance.
Themes
SuccessInnovationTechnologyAcceptanceDesign
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a presentation about product development to emphasize the importance of perseverance.
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That has always been the objective of Apple: to do things that really enrich people's lives. That you look back on and you wonder, 'How did I live without this?'
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