1. Words Matter

On October 23, 2001, Apple Computer launched a new product that would forever change the world of music. It would eventually also change entertainment, computers, and even Apple itself, which would later drop the word Computer from its name. Newly rehired Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs introduced a new device. It was small. It could link with Apple’s Macintosh computer line. And it could play music.

As a computer company, Apple could have highlighted the engineering that went into the new device. Or the unprecedented power of its 5GB of memory. Or it could have focused on the elegance of its design, its ease of use, or even its price. But it didn’t. Rather, Steve Jobs spoke a single phrase that captured customers’ attention, made them re-imagine what was possible when listening to music. He focused not on the product or the technology. Rather, he simply described what the product meant to the customer: