SmartCompany – The Steve Jobs Legacy

As anyone who pays any attention to the technology scene – or  you know, life – would know, Steve Jobs died last week.

Plenty of people have already written about Jobs and his legacy, so there’s not much more anyone can add. But I wrote a few pieces for SmartCompany both on Jobs’ five best inventions, and five lessons for entrepeneurs to learn from Jobs on innovation.

I’m particularly happy with the story on the five different products. Here’s a snapshot:

Apple never takes the first step. When Jobs debuted the iPod in 2001, it wasn’t the first MP3 player on the market and it technically wasn’t even the best. But this device – which has sold hundreds of millions of units in the past decade – represents Jobs’ vision.

By releasing the iPod, Jobs proved that consumers don’t necessarily respond to technical specifications. Instead, they prefer stylish, well-designed objects that are as much of a fashion item as they are music player.

That piece is available here, and my piece on Jobs’ lessons for innovation can be read here.