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A question for you: do you remember something called the “Zune”?
Another question: do you remember something called the “iPod”?
Both were MP3 music players. Here’s the thing, though. The Zune, made by Microsoft, was the far superior product, in most respects. And yet it failed miserably and was discontinued a couple of years after its launch. The iPod, made by Apple, was the dominant device of its time.
The story is told to very good effect by Simon Sinek in his new book, The Infinite Game. Mr Sinek spoke some years back at a Microsoft event, and then at an Apple event a few months later. The Microsoft of the time, under the leadership of Steve Ballmer, was obsessed with beating the resurgent Apple. The Zune was part of that strategy, to take on the iPod that was then so popular with the youth of the world.
The product was great, reports Mr Sinek. He was given a Zune as a gift after the event, and found it elegantly designed with a simple and intuitive user interface. And yet he gave it away — mainly because he could not connect it to iTunes, which housed most of his music collection.
After the Apple event a few months later (in which Microsoft was never mentioned), Mr Sinek was sharing a taxi with a very senior Apple executive. He couldn’t resist telling this gentleman: “You know … I spoke at Microsoft, and they gave me their new Zune, and I have to tell you, it is so much better than your iPod Touch.”
The reply he got was a smile, and a single sentence: “I have no doubt”.
Mr Sinek’s reflections on that response led eventually to his excellent new book. In it, Mr Si
In Summary
What game are you in? Does your leader ever talk — sincerely — about cause and purpose, or just whip everyone into a fear-filled and greed-driven frenzy about targets and deliverables?
Are your meetings fixated on benchmarking and catching up with your competitors, or on your own unique plays?
Does everything change when the CEO changes, or are CEOs selected to continue the distinctive values and timeless ethos of the organisation?
More by this Author
A question for you: do you remember something called the “Zune”?
Another question: do you remember something called the “iPod”?
Both were MP3 music players. Here’s the thing, though. The Zune, made by Microsoft, was the far superior product, in most respects. And yet it failed miserably and was discontinued a couple of years after its launch. The iPod, made by Apple, was the dominant device of its time.
The story is told to very good effect by Simon Sinek in his new book, The Infinite Game. Mr Sinek spoke some years back at a Microsoft event, and then at an Apple event a few months later. The Microsoft of the time, under the leadership of Steve Ballmer, was obsessed with beating the resurgent Apple. The Zune was part of that strategy, to take on the iPod that was then so popular with the youth of the world.
The product was great, reports Mr Sinek. He was given a Zune as a gift after the event, and found it elegantly designed with a simple and intuitive user interface. And yet he gave it away — mainly because he could not connect it to iTunes, which housed most of his music collection.
After the Apple event a few months later (in which Microsoft was never mentioned), Mr Sinek was sharing a taxi with a very senior Apple executive. He couldn’t resist telling this gentleman: “You know … I spoke at Microsoft, and they gave me their new Zune, and I have to tell you, it is so much better than your iPod Touch.”
The reply he got was a smile, and a single sentence: “I have no doubt”.
Mr Sinek’s reflections on that response led eventually to his excellent new book. In it, Mr Si
In Summary
What game are you in? Does your leader ever talk — sincerely — about cause and purpose, or just whip everyone into a fear-filled and greed-driven frenzy about targets and deliverables?
Are your meetings fixated on benchmarking and catching up with your competitors, or on your own unique plays?
Does everything change when the CEO changes, or are CEOs selected to continue the distinctive values and timeless ethos of the organisation?
More by this Author
A question for you: do you remember something called the “Zune”?
Another question: do you remember something called the “iPod”?
Both were MP3 music players. Here’s the thing, though. The Zune, made by Microsoft, was the far superior product, in most respects. And yet it failed miserably and was discontinued a couple of years after its launch. The iPod, made by Apple, was the dominant device of its time.
The story is told to very good effect by Simon Sinek in his new book, The Infinite Game. Mr Sinek spoke some years back at a Microsoft event, and then at an Apple event a few months later. The Microsoft of the time, under the leadership of Steve Ballmer, was obsessed with beating the resurgent Apple. The Zune was part of that strategy, to take on the iPod that was then so popular with the youth of the world.
The product was great, reports Mr Sinek. He was given a Zune as a gift after the event, and found it elegantly designed with a simple and intuitive user interface. And yet he gave it away — mainly because he could not connect it to iTunes, which housed most of his music collection.
After the Apple event a few months later (in which Microsoft was never mentioned), Mr Sinek was sharing a taxi with a very senior Apple executive. He couldn’t resist telling this gentleman: “You know … I spoke at Microsoft, and they gave me their new Zune, and I have to tell you, it is so much better than your iPod Touch.”
The reply he got was a smile, and a single sentence: “I have no doubt”.
Mr Sinek’s reflections on that response led eventually to his excellent new book. In it, Mr Si
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