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I spent Saturday playing with Apple's new iPad. My reaction: It's another amazing feat of engineering and design elegance from the team in Cupertino.
But will it sell? And I don't mean, will it sell to the fanatical, early adopters? That's a given. Rather, will it sell in the tens of millions to the masses (Apple's projected sales are 10 million in 2010)?
It depends.
As a "product," the iPad has a few shortcomings: It's heavy. The glass screen creates a lot of glare and is quickly covered in fingerprints. You can't really grab it and go. It needs to be carried in a bag. And it's expensive.
But value always lies beyond the product and is embedded deep within the "idea." And as an idea the iPad has the potential to come to life in a very big way, as it rapidly becomes a creative boon for game and content developers.
Imagine a storybook with animation that springs to life when a child touches a character, or a history book that launches a JFK or MLK speech on command. Try to picture a math book that interacts in real-time as a student solves problems, or a challenging game of Scrabble with online friends.
I can imagine a custom holder that props it up on an exercise bike and provides a realistic, and educational, ride through the streets of Paris. I see it sitting in a custom frame on a kitchen counter, making meal recommendations and launching stunning video demonstrations of various recipes.
It's already a beautiful and powerful photo display frame. It's being used by some as an artist's canvas and palette. A New Yorker magazine cover was produced using an iPhone. Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ4C9zmStjU
The sky's the limit.
The same is true of your products and services. It's not what your idea is that matters. It's what it does. Success depends on how powerfully you bring your idea to life for the benefit of your audience.
The idea called iPad will never become a winner based solely on the "value" of the product. No way. And neither will you or your ideas.
Success in today's marketplace of ideas comes from being bold and creative and adding meaningful value to people's lives: Value beyond the product.
P.S. Here's a link to a radio interview I did Monday, on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate show, where we discussed this same subject: http://bit.ly/dzwtOT
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Tom is timely, thought provoking and all about the new brand vision packaged as a Seinfeld stand up. I went to school on his ideas.
Jeff Taylor, Founder, Monster.com and CEO, Eons.
Hi Tom,
It boils down to utility, doesn't it? And not just utility as it was envisioned by Apple, but utility as it is interpreted by the masses. I have been asking myself (about the iPad) 'Wow! It's awesome! I wonder what I can use it for...'
Posted by: Muchiri Nyaggah | April 06, 2010 at 06:44 PM
Exactly Muchiri! Satisfaction in our decision. Sense making, by us.
Posted by: Tom Asacker | April 06, 2010 at 06:49 PM
You can get a trip through the streets of Paris here = http://www.varilux.com/fr/Varilux-Experience2
But it is more fun with a machine having a webcam. Not yet on the ipad.
Posted by: cb | April 07, 2010 at 02:13 AM
"As a "product," the iPad has a few shortcomings: It's heavy. The glass screen creates a lot of glare and is quickly covered in fingerprints. You can't really grab it and go. It needs to be carried in a bag."
Great feedback for the ethnographers and anthropologists on the design team at Apple. Watch them zap those shortcomings on future versions.
Posted by: Dara Lawlor | April 18, 2010 at 02:25 PM