“Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end, because once you get there, you can move mountains.” —Steve Jobs

This book ‘Insanely Simple - The obsession that drives Apple's success’ by Ken Segall piqued my interest when I first read about the upside-down logo on a Macbook (when you open your macbook in public, others will see it correctly - publicity). Segall was the Creative Director for the “Think Different” campaign and originated the idea “i” for iMac, iPhone, iPod, iPad. He worked closely with Steve Jobs from the '80s. I’ve been exploring a few marketing, branding, PR books in recent days for my own needs. This book was raw and useful. I'll share my notes here, should it benefit anyone else.

1. Apple ignited the personal computer revolution but faced irrelevance when Steve Jobs was ousted.

2. Upon his return, he reignited computers (iMac), transformed music (iPod and iTunes), revolutionized smartphones (iPhone), and reinvented computers (iPad).

3. Apple’s slogan and company identity : simply amazing, and amazingly simple.

4. Microsoft introduced the Zune Store to rival iTunes. It used "Microsoft Points," where customers bought points in hundreds and converted 80 points to purchase a 99-cent song. This is the opposite of simplicity and why it didn’t work

5. The truth was the truth and his opinion was his opinion, regardless of personal feelings, alliances, or the room's atmosphere.

6. Clarity propels an organization. Not occasional clarity but pervasive, twenty-four-hour, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners clarity.

7. He had no issue abandoning investments if his strategy changed. He once canceled a TV campaign on the brink of production, forfeiting over a million dollars.

8. That Steve Jobs was intolerant of stupidity is a matter of record

9. He seemed to buy the notion that any publicity is good publicity, and the negatives just rolled off his back.

10. For big campaigns, it involves agency (creatives, account and media directors), and Apple's team including Steve, product marketing, product design, marketing comms, and in-house creative.

11. Start with small, smart groups—and keep them small. More people invites complexity

12. “You know how many committees we have at Apple? Zero. We’re organized like a start-up. We’re the biggest start-up on the planet.” Jobs at All Things Digital conference in 2010

13. Project quality decreases as more people get involved (there’s an economy theory to this : diminishing return)

14. The project's quality improves based on the involvement of the decision maker. Doesn’t have to be the CEO but anyone who is the decision maker

15. “I lost track of the number of midnight phone calls we had just to go over the copy for an ad about to be published.” Segall

16. He insisted on being the first to see the agency's creative ideas. Even the VP of marketing couldn't filter the work before he had a chance to view it. Steve wanted to make his own judgment “Maybe I’ll see a spark in there that nobody else sees.”

17. Intel vs Apple - Intel has report cards for the ad agency - highlights and lowlights. Steve Jobs preferred real time honestly.

18. Intel vs Apple - If there is a better idea mid production, they can share it with Steve Jobs. Steve looks forward to it. This is not possible with Intel as it has many layers of processes

19. Trying to solve problems by copying just one aspect of Apple's approach doesn’t work. Simplicity is an all-or-nothing concept.

20. “Steve volunteered some great ideas and I saw him suggest some clunkers. But I’ve never seen a CEO who had Steve’s passion for creativity.”

21. “One of the most important things Apple does is trust itself. We didn’t test a single ad. Not for print, TV, billboards, the web, retail, or anything.”

22. In a multilayered org, it’s difficult to stand up for imaginative thinking—because it puts your neck on the line. In Apple’s flatter organization, it’s easier to “think different.”

23. “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.” Steve Jobs, 1997 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference

24. Some companies try to please everyone and seize every opportunity, but it often leads to confusing product offerings. Please everyone ends up pleasing no one.

25. Dell and HP model clutters (names, specs etc) vs simplified Apple models

26. Steve Jobs trusted his people. He sees them at the start of the job and when they return to the Apple boardroom to share the finished work. Not a million updates.

27. Intel didn't trust itself - it had multiple focus groups

28. Testing was a religion to Intel, just as Simplicity was to Apple.

29. Even geniuses need reminders. During a meeting, Steve Jobs requested 5 points in a 30s clip, but Lee Chow disagreed and suggested only one point - with a playful paper toss. He crumpled 5 papers, threw one to Steve (caught), then all 5 (Steve missed). The argument won to keep it simple, with just one point

30. When Steve Jobs returned, Apple was 90 days from going bankrupt.

31. “The products suck! There’s no sex in them anymore!” Steve Jobs, upon his return on Business Week interview

32. Ad campaigns takes about abt 3 months from idea to completion of a project (idea, feedbacks, production)

33. When Apple created the first iPod, it didn’t set out to create a portable player that could accommodate music, movies, podcasts, and photos. It created a music player. The rest came later. Aim realistically.

34. The 1.0 version of this product didn’t even support apps, which quickly came to be the most revolutionary part of the platform. The original idea was that Apple would support only web apps developed in Safari

35. When people trust a brand and see real value in it, they’re willing to pay more for it. If you have a mediocre brand, the only way to attract customers is by lowering prices.

36. Apple vs Dell : Apple started in 1997, aiming for immediate action and trusted a small, smart team led by its CEO, Steve Jobs. They knew their identity and took a month to create the "Think different" campaign. Dell started in 2008, took months to plan, relied on a committee, and struggled to define its identity. Michael Dell only got involved after the project was done, and they ended up with presentation boards tucked away in a closet.

37. At HP, process has become more important than progress.

Steve’s fascination with history and his appreciation for iconic images would figure prominently in the work that lay ahead.

38. Upon Steve's return, it took 6 months to revive Apple.

39. Apple had three target groups: Those who remembered the old Apple but had lost faith, A younger generation who only knew the struggling Apple, and Apple employees in need of inspiration after years of challenges.

40. iPhone’s single button has become an icon of Apple’s devotion to Simplicity

41. There are three functions that people use most on their iPhones: Internet, phone, and iPod.

42. Campaign can run for years (Think Different ran for 5 years) - i always thought you need a new campaign every few months!

43. "I don't hate it this week," he said. "But I still prefer 'MacMan' as the best name”. This shows how Steve Jobs had strong opinions but could change his mind when faced with passionate arguments (it became iMac)

44. Apple doesn’t just keep naming simple for the sake of brand-building. It keeps naming simple so it doesn’t confuse the hell out of people

45. Steve had the sensitivities of an artist and was fanatic about details. There was no such thing as an unimportant detail.

46. Steve was most comfortable with a table, a whiteboard, and an honest exchange of ideas. He liked the atmosphere in the room to be such that he could put his bare feet up on the table if he felt like it. Which is something he really did do.

47. Apple vs Dell : “In fact, I never even attended an overcrowded meeting. There’s something in the blood at Dell that requires it—there’s something in the DNA of Apple that forbids it.”

48. Steve didn’t have a lot of patience. He was supercritical. He’d interrupt you in a heartbeat. If you could successfully present to Steve, I imagine you could successfully present to anybody.

49. Simplicity is in a hurry. It wants to cut to the chase and concentrate on the important stuff.

50. Apple's launch events were painstakingly choreographed and rehearsed, with backup plans for every potential issue. Yet, amidst the precision, Steve's informal demeanor was easily seen

51. In many ways he followed the traditional presentation playbook: Lay out the agenda, lay out the facts for each topic, then summarize each topic before moving on to the next. At the end of the show, he’d summarize the high points of the entire show all over again.

52. If he had a thought he wanted to stick with you, he’d repeat it. Over and over.

53. Apple's original iPod wasn't described as a 6.5-ounce music player with a five-gigabyte drive but as "1,000 songs in your pocket." This human-speak approach is a hallmark of simplicity.

54. Apple's advantage lies in its consistent use of human, nontechnical language over the years

55. Companies like Dell are heavily focused numbers and stats. Projects have specific goals, and if the clicks don't meet those goals, there are consequences.

56. Steve often emphasized Apple's position at the intersection of technology and liberal arts in his presentations. He valued ideas above statistics

57. “Fuck the lawyers” - when lawyers were being a pain on copywriting (Lawyers matter, but sometimes they can be a bit strict =) )

58. Intel considered its lawyers’ decision to be more of a ruling than a request

59. Doesn't take no for an answer if he believes it's possible. If you can’t do it, he will get someone else to do it.

60. Apple has a rich history of zeroing in on specific enemies,

- Apple vs Intel : snail

- Apple vs Microsoft (Mac vs PC)

- Apple vs Dell

61. Steve Jobs once said: “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”

Steve started Apple in 1976 when he was 21. He stepped down 6 months before he passed away at 56 years old in 2011