There have been numerous debates as to whether the role of Steve Jobs in today’s world is over hyped. I for one, think it is. But let us try and understand the reasons for the hype.
Steve Jobs did not change the world. He didn’t invent the personal computer or the mouse driven GUI. People already listened to music on the move and owned cell phones. On the other hand, co-inventor of Unix OS and C programming language, Dennis Ritchie, passed away without making any major news. Without doubt his contribution to the world is much more than Steve Jobs’. I have no idea what Steve Jobs would have done in his life if not for the inventions of Dennis Ritchie. It’s actually like comparing the inventor of the wheel to the creator of the latest Mercedes car.
But let’s give credit to Steve for who he really was- a visionary marketer. The common link in all his success stories is that the success is less because of the basic product (similar products had always existed) and more due to the marketing skills of the legend. I would even risk saying that he may be the best marketer we have ever seen. He realised the latent need to make the computer and everyday electronic devices more user friendly. This one insight alone led to Apple becoming the second largest company in terms of market capitalization after Exxon.
But the marketing legend is been bestowed with many more adjectives than this alone. The importance of Steve Jobs and Apple to the world is stated to be much more than it actually is. The reasons simply are as follows:
- Steve Jobs passed away at the peak of the Apple success story. For example, the 27 club members wouldn’t have been as famous if they had lived on and died peacefully off their peak at 70.
- Steve Jobs was the face of Apple. He was like the lead singer of a band. No matter who wrote the lyrics and who gave the music, it’s always the lead singer who is remembered.
- His fall and return to power is what fairy tales are made of. His speech at Stanford graduation in 2005 mapping the story is one of the most (if not most) famous speeches of our time. This is one of the biggest factors in the making of brand Steve Jobs.
- It’s not the inventor or the back end guy who is remembered. It’s always the one who takes the product to the customer. Steve Jobs’ products in the initial stint were more impactful but he never gained popularity as the products/features were better marketed by Microsoft. However, his second stint gave him a cult status when he was able to market his products to the masses bettering competition.
Today when anyone sees and uses an Apple product, he feels the emotional connect to the face of the company. And emotions run much deeper than any logical argument which may try to prove the hype.
