Apple was honored the most innovative company by Fast Company. They have done an extensive interview with Tim Cook, which gives some great insight into how he and Apple think.
Here are some of the most interesting notes from that interview:
1. To have a good year, Tim Cook believes that it is more important to make the best products that enrich people’s lives rather than stock price performance.
2. Apple has the patience to wait until something is great before they ship it. It may seem that Apple is following, but according to him, Apple starts working on the product much before other people. It does not wait for somebody to see what they are doing.
3. Tim Cook doesn’t seem to be a big fan of quarterly results as it doesn't make sense to measure a business on 90-days when the investments are long term.
4. Tim Cook still believes ARKit apps will be very profound and life-changing.
5. Apple thinks about things from a core technology point of view, which they start working on years before they’re shipped. For example, they are working on things now that will be released in 2020s.
6. Tim Cook reads a fair number of customer emails, but he can no longer read all of them. It helps in checking the company pulse.
7. Apple is very sensitive to unintended consequences of technological advances, so they provide tools like the Do Not Disturb While Driving feature in iOS 11, that helps users do the right thing.
8. When it comes to music, Tim Cook says “we’re not in it for the money”. He finds music interesting because it inspires and motivates people. So Apple feels it is important to support the artists.
9. Apple has focused on the sound quality in the case of HomePod compared to other smart speakers, because “part of the enjoyment in music is hearing the full sound,” which would not be possible with a little squeaky speaker.
10. Tim Cook says for Apple technology is a “background thing.” They are a group of people who are trying to change the world for the better.
Source: iphonehacks