Most companies turn to outside consultants, focus groups and media relations firms to try to understand their market.
Apple creates products like a monarchy, with all big decisions flowing down from Emperor Steve.
Here is a quote from Steve Jobs saying that Apple doesn’t do market research from a post arguing why no one innovates like Apple.
“We do no market research. We don’t hire consultants. The only consultants I’ve ever hired in my 10 years is one firm to analyze Gateway’s retail strategy so I would not make some of the same mistakes they made [when launching Apple’s retail stores]. But we never hire consultants, per se. We just want to make great products.”
Mr. Jobs elaborates the Apple design design philosophy from Fortune.
“It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do.”
Jonathan Ive, Apple product design VP, explains how Apple’s primary goal is not to make money, but to make great products that people will love.
“Apple’s goal isn’t to make money. Our goal is to design and develop and bring to market good products… We trust as a consequence of that, people will like them, and as another consequence we’ll make some money. But we’re really clear about what our goals are.”
Apple has a very clear vision: Make the very best products that people will love to use, business will follow.
Read more at Bokardo.