Greg Joswiak: four keys to Apple’s success

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide iPod, iPhone, and iOS Product Marketing, visited the UK this week to take part in ‘The Silicon Valley Comes to UK‘. Speaking at the event, which brings together entrepreneurs, students and angel investors, he revealed his thoughts on Apple’s four keys to success – focus, simplicity, courage & being the best.

Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, this is what Joswiak had to say:

Focus – “It means saying no, not saying yes. We do very few things at Apple. We are $100bn in revenue with very few products. There are only so many grade A players. If you spread yourself out over too many things, none of them will be great.”

Simplicity – “Make complex things simple. A lot of people think it means take something simple and leave it at its core essence. But it isn’t that. When you start to build something, it quickly becomes really complex. But that is when a lot of people stop. If you really know your product and the problems, then you can take something that is complex and then make it simple.”

Courage – “Courage drives a lot of decisions in business. Don’t hang on to ideas from the past even if they have been successful for you. You don’t build a product just because everyone else has one.”

Best – “If you can’t enter the market and try and be the best in it, don’t enter it. You need that differentiation. At Apple if we can’t be the best then we are not interested in it.”

Greg Joswiak has worked for Apple for over twenty years, and currently reports to Philip Schiller – Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing. He often features prominently in the company’s product videos, including more recently, the one showcasing the iPhone 4S.

[Via 9to5Mac]