Don't Ask Me What I Think

As I read the key takeaways on Apple’s comeback story in Business Insider, there was one that particularly stood out to me:  “Be confident - don't hold focus groups and ask people what they think.”  I immediately thought back to the Ted Talk by Malcolm Gladwell where he tells the story of Howard Moskowitz and his research to create the perfect diet Pepsi.  After doing multiple taste tests with different groups, he couldn’t find one particular level of sweetness that appealed to everyone.  As Moskowitz discovered, there is no such thing as the perfect Pepsi, only perfect Pepsis.

I still remember when I first heard about the iPad.  First, Apple revolutionized the way we listen to music with the iPod.  It didn’t take me long to get on board.  Then, they completely changed the way we communicate and use internet with the iPhone.  It was simply amazing.  But when the iPad came out, I thought, “How dumb an idea is that?”  Is it an extraordinarily large iPod or is it a big phone that can’t make calls?  I mean, really, who would want a computer with no keyboard, disk-drive, or USB port? 

As it turns out, I would want one of those computers with no keyboard.   Today, I can’t imagine life without my iPad, but if I had been a member of a focus group asked about my thoughts on this new tablet device… well, you know.  I’m reminded of what Gladwell said about coffee during his talk.  If you ask people what kind of coffee they like, we all say we want a bold dark roast, but in reality most people really prefer a weak milky coffee.    Thank goodness Steve Jobs was confident and didn’t ask me what I thought about the iPad.