Name: Insanely simple
ISBN: 9781591844839

Insanely simple

To Steve Jobs, Simplicity was a religion. It was also a weapon. Simplicity isn't just a design principle at Apple--it's a value that permeates every level of the organization. The obsession with Simplicity is what separates Apple from other technology companies. It's what helped Apple recover from near death in 1997 to become the most valuable company on Earth in 2011. Thanks to Steve Jobs's uncompromising ways, you can see Simplicity in everything Apple does: the way it's structured, the way it innovates, and the way it speaks to its customers. It's by crushing the forces of Complexity that the company remains on its stellar trajectory. As ad agency creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple's resurrection, helping to create such critical marketing campaigns as Think different. By naming the iMac, he also laid the foundation for naming waves of i-products to come. Segall has a unique perspective, given his years of experience creating campaigns for other iconic tech companies, including IBM, Intel, and Dell. It was the stark contrast of Apple's ways that made Segall appreciate the power of Simplicity--and inspired him to help others benefit from it. In Insanely Simple, you'll be a fly on the wall inside a conference room with Steve Jobs, and on the receiving end of his midnight phone calls. You'll understand how his obsession with Simplicity helped Apple perform better and faster, sometimes saving millions in the process.

What Hacker News says

cercatrovaJul 2022

There's a great book called Insanely Simple by Ken Segall (who worked for the ad agency Chiat/Day which famously made the 1984 ad) where the author shows how Jobs managed to simply incidental complexity.

One example was with Final Cut Studio 2, a predecessor of Final Cut Pro. Apple had recently acquired a company called Silicon Color and wanted to incorporate it into Studio 2. The project leader wanted to be like Adobe and stratify the product into different editions, one with Color (what Silicon Color's product was renamed as) and one without. There would be the standard Final Cut Studio 2 without Color and Final Cut Studio 2 Platinum Edition, with Color. When the project leader presented the finished marketing designs to Steve, he simply said,

"Put the software in the box."

When the team didn't understand exactly what he meant, he reiterated, "Put Color in the Final Cut Studio box. We sell one product. Period. What next?"

And only one product was sold, rather than multiple. It allowed Apple to have consistent messaging without needing to explain the differences between each product, nor did Apple have to create new packaging for each version. It's similar to 2007; when the iPhone released, there was only one iPhone, not the variety we have today. You either wanted it, or you didn't. Period.

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kozakJul 2016

1. "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries

2. "Insanely Simple" by Ken Segall

3. "How to Measure Anything" by Douglas W. Hubbard

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johnlim5847Jul 2014

Insanely Simple The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success by Ken Segall is quite good

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carbon8Jan 2013

This sounds very similar to what I've heard from people who have actually worked with Jobs, as well as the Steve Jobs described by Ken Segall in Insanely Simple http://www.amazon.com/Insanely-Simple-Obsession-Drives-Succe...

Segall’s description of Jobs includes an important additional component: obsession with keeping things simple (hence the book title). Segall provides numerous anecdotes of Jobs beating an idea with the “Simple Stick,” as he calls it, and compares it favorably against his relatively frustrating experiences working with other companies like Intel and Dell.

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sotojuanMar 2016

That said, I think Apple has too many devices now. I remember reading the book "Insanely Simple", in which the author lauded how simple Apple's lineup was. While it's not too confusing, it's definitely going in that direction.

Of course, I am being hypocritical. The 5s is my favorite iPhone, so this new product is what I wanted all along.

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