Sim Book:
CEO: Hello, you know me. I am Sim Book; the current CEO of Apple, Inc. I was the former COO and stepped up after Steve Jobs passed away. It feels good to carry forward his dream and honour his memory.

Hurt DelBene:
Microsoft: Hello, I am not a public name or face - only the Executive Vice President of Strategy at Microsoft. I was called back from my retirement because the company wanted my expertise in technology strategy.

Alex Glee :
User: Hey friends, you may have heard of me. I'm Alex Glee - the most passionate Apple fan. I waited 32 hours in a queue for iPhone 4 and then broke my own record by standing for 50 hours for iPad 2. #SteveJobsIsGod

Sim Book:
CEO: Thanks Alex, you keep us motivated.
While we discuss Apple's growth story today, the core of the matter is the philosophy and corporate strategy which enabled it to function in both effective and efficient manner.

Spike Markkula Jr :
Investor: Absolutely true! You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do, but the belief and ideology of the founders are what convinced me to back the dark horse instead of backing the winning horse.

Hurt DelBene:
Microsoft: As a veteran I do agree that philosophies of the top management trickle down, creating an organizational culture. And this very culture is responsible for creating the very purpose of all the creation that a company does. However, in Apple's case, this culture is only coming out through design and less through its people.

Alex Glee :
User: I don't know much about their philosophy, nor do I care about the design. Lemme tell you what a consumer thinks: I want great products. And Apple ticks that box perfectly.

Sim Book:
CEO: Precisely. Technology is complex. It always has been. And an entire industry is dedicated to harnessing it for commercial applications. We only go a step forward and make the process more enjoyable.

Spike Markkula Jr :
Investor: Hurt, although we are competitors, I request you to give unbiased opinions. Although there is some truth in what you said, the boys have been making things smaller and better - right from the early days.

Alex Glee :
User: You guys seem to be missing the point here. It isn't about your history or the philosophy - yes, we do look into it occasionally. Nokia had both of these, but we loved it because we liked their products. The day we stopped liking them, they fell.

Hurt DelBene:
Microsoft: The fall of Nokia has nothing to do with this. It was a strategic decision by Microsoft to acquire Nokia for the promise the brand holds in the future. Wouldn't you be more willing to buy Nokia since they have a proven track records?

Sim Book:
CEO: Well, Hurt, you made our point stronger. Through the decades, whether it is through Macintosh, Lisa, Modems or the 'i' range, we have positioned ourself as the best in the market.

Hurt DelBene:
Microsoft: Although I agree with your marketing strategy, I don't attribute your success to it. Our entire industry boomed after the 70's because someone invented the microchip. And Apple adopted the technology after copying Xerox. The very foundation of your growth was through duplication.

Spike Markkula Jr:
Investor: Hahaha, look who's talking about copying and duplication. I wonder what Billy (Gates) has to say about this. Steve did send him a message through his Stanford commencement address speech.

Alex Glee :
User: Forget that, see the article by Neil Patel. This does give good insight into how Apple is connecting better with consumers.

Sim Book:
CEO: Thanks, Alex. We have proved yet again that it is all about consumer ideology. We saw that people wanted PCs and we created them. And we put our heart and soul into making the products perfect.

Spike Markkula Jr:
Investor: Remember Steve in his second phase at Apple? He was even more focused than before. I remember this instance very clearly: the hardware team came to him after working continuously for many nights on the iPod design. They got him the prototype, which he tossed into a fish tank and saw bubbles coming out.
He said that since there was air inside, the design wasn't optimum/perfect. It could still be smaller.

Sim Book:
CEO: Oh yes, Steve was quite unapologetic like that. A tough boss, but a kind man. There aren't many people like him. We aren't just about better top lines and bottom lines, we are about creating stuff that changes the future. Y'all are busy designing products which are focused on functionality.

Alex Glee :
User: But there's nothing wrong with functionality, too. A lot of my friends love Windows - it's cheaper and more practical than the Mac.

Hurt DelBene:
Microsoft: Let me complete about Steve first. He was so secretive and so strict about his products in his later life. Eventually, the Mac was just forgotten, and it was Windows that took center stage.
We want to give our users what they want. We, therefore, manufacture cutting-edge products which help them on a daily basis in a variety of activities.

Sim Book:
CEO: And what about features that the customers don't even know they need? We did that with the touchscreen, with the App Store and again with the iPad. Henry Ford said it beautifully, 'If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have asked for a faster horse.'

Spike Markkula Jr:
Investor: From a purely economic perspective, Apple is profitable due to its ability to be the first in the market and get the first-mover's advantage.

Alex Glee :
User: Yeah, I agree. Once I get comfortable with a product, it is quite unsettling to switch to another brand. And I've never been bombarded with Apple ads, whether through print, television or outdoors.

Hurt DelBene:
Microsoft: Alex, we have accepted that they are good in that vertical. But their clever marketing has veiled about how many failed products they've had.
Steve couldn't switch between apps in ROKR, during the live launch event. And what about MobileMe? The lead product manager was fired on the spot, but Steve hadn't let the poor guy voice his opinion during the development phase!
The marketing machinery that Apple employs is good and projects better than true pictures, concealing much of the reality. Is that what their PR and sales strategy revolves around? Cover the dark patches?

Alex Glee :
User: Are these true? I never knew anything about these instances. Although I love Apple, I do believe that the products are becoming a little too simple.

Spike Markkula Jr:
Investor: Simplicity in design is what you love the most. Why would it be a cause for concern?

Sim Book:
CEO: Mike, I think we should let the numbers, the history, and the future speak for themselves. A couple of instances taken out of context do not change the fact that we are drivers of positive change in the technology sphere.
And as far as simplicity of products and the 'too simple' statement is concerned, we have a little input for our design engineers which shall reflect in the coming launches.

Alex Glee :
User: I'm eagerly waiting for all product launches, especially the 10th anniversary iPhone. Can't wait for it.

Hurt DelBene:
Microsoft: We're waiting, too. Let time be the best judge - who shall fare better: specialization or diversification?