Great Organizations Remove Barriers

Every successful organization searches relentlessly for what is standing in the way of its customers. If you want your product to be used or purchased, you must discover what is preventing your customers from doing so and remove those barriers.

Apple is easily the best current example of this. Over the past two years, the company has completely altered its methodology, which had relied primarily on the exclusivity of its products, to focus on pleasing the consumer. Last week's keynote was the final, triumphant step in this transformation.

Barrier > Aging operating system without broad appeal, lacking support for open standards, and difficult to integrate with other networks and systems.

Solution > Build Unix-based OS with support for most open standards.

Barrier > Little public knowledge of Apple products and poor sales experience.

Solution > Build over 100 Apple Stores in prominent cities and locations throughout the world, where the full customer experience is completely controlled.

Barrier > PC users unable to take advantage of the iPod and iTunes Music Store.

Solution > Build a PC-version of iTunes, opening the iPod to the majority of computer users and leading to a dominant market share.

Barrier > The iPod is too expensive, with the cheapest model at $249.

Solution > Build the iPod Shuffle, available for only $99.

Barrier > The iMac is too expensive and requires you to purchase a display you may not need.

Solution > Build the Mac Mini, available for only $499.

Apple has removed nearly every barrier or objection a person could offer. They have come to the conclusion as an organization that they are not satisfied with selling to existing customers.

These decisions have had an enormous impact on the image of the company, which is no longer viewed as an exclusive club (complete with t-shirts that read It's an Apple thing...you wouldn't understand), but as a responsive, inviting company offering tools to enhance your life.

Well done, Apple. There are other organizations that come to mind, but what about the church? That is the topic of my next post.

Comments

[Mark]

Agreed. Certainly, Apple as a symbol is much more readily viewable today, on the web and with store presence. It's not quite as ubiquitous in the UK as it is in the US, though. Not yet, anyway.

Whoever thought up those iPod silhouette ads is probably doing very well for themselves right now.

[John Warren]

Have you drank Apple Kool-aid?

Apple moved to Unix because they couldn’t fix their old OS. When they gave up on their old OS they stranded million of users and developers.

Apple has a terrible customer service reputation going back decades... the stores are just there to sell things.

iTunes is anti you! Apple has so locked the service with DRM… why would anyone want to buy music there? And for the same price as the complete CD at Best Buy. Ick!

The iPod IS too expensive... and is another "locked for the benefit of Apple" product. The current iPod reminds me of the 1st Mac… we’re in the beginning stage of this market, the overprice iPod will be beaten by a better and cheaper player JUST like the Mac was. Already the reviewers say the Rio Carbon is bigger, better and CHEAPER than the mini iPod. The shuffle...PLEASE! It sucks at any price!

The Mac Mini? Is a $1000 the way you want it... without a monitor.

Apple has from the beginning has been a closed company that is anti-choice and anti-customer. And their single digit market share proves it.

I don’t care if you want to gush about “how much you love your Mac”. There are always people who crave style over substance.

To content that this horrid company that, from the beginning, has done everything in its power to limit your choice as an example of removing barriers is stupid. Apples entire business plan DEPENDS on barriers. Can you build your own Mac? Play the iTunes music you own wherever you want? Apple buisness plan is to sue people who break its rules or talk about the company in a way it doesn’t like? Grow up!

The market decides everything and the market HATES barriers. That’s why, in the 80s, the market turned its back on Apple.

[Evan]

"iTunes is anti you! Apple has so locked the service with DRM… why would anyone want to buy music there? And for the same price as the complete CD at Best Buy. Ick!"

Do you really think Apple is the evil beast behind DRM? No, its the RIAA. Apple makes a few cents per song (just like the artists). It's the RIAA who is really profiting from this venture. There would be no songs available were it not for this DRM (which, if you try hard enough, can be unlocked). For most people, you know, the kind who don't even know what DRM means? They could care less. Point, click, stick it on their iPod.

My point here is that no one, even to this -very day- has created an online music store that is easy to use, affordable, and cross-platform. iTunes fills a void, and iPod is Apple's new cash cow. They dedicated intelligent people to design something new and exciting. They're profiting from it via their music player. There is nothing wrong with this.

"The Mac Mini? Is a $1000 the way you want it... without a monitor."

Replace "you" with "I" in that sentence.

"I don’t care if you want to gush about “how much you love your Mac”. There are always people who crave style over substance."

And there are people who like Thomas Kincaid, regardless of the fact that I think his stuff is uninspired garbage. That's okay. It's their preference. Class, style, taste, preference. It's all different. I see Apple as definitely taking the classy/stylistic approach. More in the mindset of a rogue artist who does beautiful work that not many see. The rest of the world may enjoy their boring paintings of snow-covered scenes, but there are a few who enjoy the underground work of a genius.

"Can you build your own Mac? Play the iTunes music you own wherever you want?"

Nope, can't build your own Mac. That's one of the rules. It is a double-edged knife in terms of hardware support and (gasp) developer support too! Ever developed a windows app before? Having to support differing hardware and software configurations is akin to hot needles in thine eye.

Hmm..play iTunes music anywhere you want? You mean like burn it to a CD?

"Apple buisness plan is to sue people who break its rules or talk about the company in a way it doesn’t like? Grow up!""

No, they plan on suing people who break their Non-Disclosure Agreement. Note the "non" there at the beginning. It means something, particularly in the courts of America. If you promise to keep quiet and blow a whistle, you break a legal contract. You then experience the consequences.

Now the fuss of threatening a website who posted images...that's a grey area and I didn't like it a bit. But the person who leaked that info deserves to be sued if they signed an NDA, which I believe all Apple employees do.

[David]

John Warren - it is you how drank the kool-aid.

The Mac OS wasn't broken - like any program that has been around for 15 years it could no longer be expanded. Apple realized that and decided to move forward. They made the same decision Microsoft did. Dump the old and do it fresh. But unlike Microsoft, Apple succeeded. Windows XP still contains 9X code.

Apple has a bad customer service reputation? You not only drank the kool-aid but you got brain damaged besides. Apple routinely is at the top of customer satisfaction surveys.

You confuse iTunes with the iTunes Music store. They are complementary but they are not the same thing. I use iTunes and have no DRM at all. I simply chose to avoid buying music at Apple's iTunes store. An easy thing to do. Not only that but iTunes uses standards based mp3 and AAC music formats unlike Microsoft which uses its own proprietary music format.

The iPod is too expensive? Compare the iPod to comparably featured mp3 players and the iPod price is priced competitively. Don't want to spend that much? But the Shuffle which is also competitively priced. Just because the iPod doesn't cost $100 doesn't make it too expensive. It just means you don't value it. Not the same thing at all. You mention the Carbon. Do some research. You'll find owners are less than happy with the quality. And saying the Shuffle sucks. What an intelligent criticism. Your scholarship amazes me. You are so erudite. So sophomoric.

The mini costs $1000? Okay, so you mean a !7" display, a mouse and keyboard and memory from Apple will total $1000. But come on, spell it out for us. Don't force us to make the argument for you. Okay, that scenario is real - but any dealer will point such a user toward the iMac which will provide more for less. But if I already have a keyboard, mouse and monitor - and I do - the mini is a great second computer. And if those devices are already connected to a PC - and they are at my house - then all I need is a $30 KVM. As for more memory - Apple suggests a tech do it but it is a user replaceable item. I can do it for $170 tops if I decide 256 meg isn't enough. For my needs I already know it will be fine.

The rest of your argument - drivel. What amazes me is that you bother wasting time with a company you have such little regard for. Actually it doesn't. I've met your kind before. You are so insecure in your ability and decisions you need to belittle those who think differently from you. You fear Apple and those who use them.

I feel sorry for you, you little man.

[Steve Holden]

I am not so sure the Apple weblog sites would agree that Apple's Barrier Removal Plan - "sue you until you can't publish" is that great of a plan.

Steve "I'm Still Bitter About the Newton" Holden

[Steve Holden]

From the Apple Store ... a Mac Mini the way I'd want it:

• 1GB DDR333 SDRAM - 1 DIMM
• 80GB Ultra ATA drive
• SuperDrive
• Internal Bluetooth + AirPort Extreme Card
• 56K v.92 Modem
• Mac OS X - U.S. English
• 1.42GHz PowerPC G4

Subtotal $1,253.00

Steve "I'm Still Bitter About the Newton" Holden

[John Warren]

Yeah...I fear Apple 1.8%

I quote Business Week Magazine...
"According to Gartner's preliminary market-share data, Apple held just 1.8% of the worldwide PC market in the fourth quarter of 2003."

This isn’t about Mac vs. Windows my big man!

You can say Macs are cute… you like the design… you’re big I’m little. I could care less. But don’t tell me Apple removes barriers. They have a long history of being anti competition and anti customer and cute Frog designed computer cases won’t change the truth.

Apples entire business plan has always been ABOUT barriers.

Mac has a 1.8 share because people don’t like the way Apples limits their choice. They’re doing the same thing now with the iPod. Microsoft didn’t beat Apple… Apple chose failure!!!!

Apple was greedy and got fat feeding off of blow hards just like you… Microsoft came along with a poorer technology but a better choice!

Remember when Macs were $3000 AND PCs were $2000? No contest… ugly old beige DOS (yeah DOS) PCs kicked the cute little Mac’s ass!! Because cute isn’t enough…then or now! And 98.2% of the entire world agrees.

Crappy old Microsoft and 1000 PC clone manufactures with their nasty looking beige boxes have removed more real barriers for more real people than Apple ever has or will.

When you and I are done flaming each other Apple share will be even lower.

PS
the Microsoft I’m referring to is the one that gave me a Media Center PC in my living room, a Media Center Extender in my bedroom, a VGA Pocket PC that talks to my cell phone and my Acura, my Xbox, a free browser, the ability to schedule the recording of TV shows from my hotel room when I travel, the portable media player that I getting ready to buy that plays TV and music and photos and videos for just $350.

I left out the ugly Spot watch that nobody wants but Apple doesn’t have anyway. Oh… MSN… MSNBC… the new Comcast cable box. Links with Tivo…see lots of choice.

Oh… and the wireless Gateway laptop I using right now that was $600 less than my buddies similar PowerBook and will STILL runs those ugly old hard to use DOS programs (the ones that kicked Apples ass years ago) I keep to help my Mom’s church group.

1.8%...there’s a reason.