Much has been written in the last two days about the legacy of Steve Jobs. And I must say that I agree with most all that's been said. But I have one thing to add.
Steve knew what it meant to create a "whole product." First, a quick definition: the whole product is "everything required to assure that the target customers can fufill their compelling reason to buy," (Geoffrey Moore, Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Technology Products to Mainstream Customers).
When I bought my first digital music player (a RioRiot), I had to complete the "whole product" on my own. I had to first buy the CDs, then burn them (by the way, which format do I burn them in...MP3, WMF) and what music quality should I choose (lostless, etc., etc)?
Enter the iPod. Users could go to a site called iTunes and download any song they wanted for a mere 99 cents. And the rest is history. Steve Jobs changed the way we purchase and listen to music by creating the whole product. Not just an iPod, but an iPod with iTunes (not to mention the cooperation of the major music producers).
And he did it again with the iPhone, with thousands and thousands of developers creating apps to make the iPhone a whole product.
And he did it again with the iPad.
Nuff said.
Steve, we'll miss you, and wish you well. A fitting tribute any company can do for Mr. Jobs? Make sure you create a whole product.
Godspeed.