Tony Fadell: “The iPod's success is owed to Steve Jobs keeping his word”

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“The true success of the iPod was still uncertain even after its market release” – this insight comes from Tony Fadell, often dubbed the father of the iPod. Initial sales figures were generally bleak, and Fadell once pondered that it might take up to 3 generations for the iPod to gain widespread adoption.

During an interview with CNET, Fadell revealed that he was trying to introduce his young startup's MP3 player, Fuse Systems. Things didn't go smoothly, and when Apple asked for advice on development goals, Fadell stated his main motivation was to make money to sustain the company. Initial sales figures were generally bleak, and Fadell once thought it might take up to 3 generations for the iPod to become popular. That's why Fadell asked Steve Jobs for one thing...

During an interview with CNET, Fadell shared that he was attempting to introduce his fledgling startup's MP3 player, Fuse Systems. Things were not easy, and when Apple sought advice on development goals, Fadell emphasized his primary drive was to earn money to sustain the company. Seven weeks later, Fadell was again invited to present his proposals to Steve Jobs, who was then a co-founder of Apple. Jobs was more interested in seeing product prototypes than looking at figures on paper. Fadell followed the advice of Apple's marketing expert, Stan Ng.

When presenting the models, Fadell followed Stan Ng's advice by introducing the worst models first, then the second-tier models, and finally the prototype he liked the most. Steve Jobs immediately grasped the situation. Jobs held up the prototype and said, “We're going to develop this model and want you to be involved.” I was like “whoa whoa” – Fadell said.

Fadell hesitated because Apple at that time was a company losing money with declining Mac sales. This meant Apple might not necessarily do better than Fuse Systems. However, Steve Jobs convinced Fadell by making a promise, something that later determined the success of the iPod.

“Many people stop halfway and I need to ensure we won't be like that,” Steve Jobs said he would continue to invest in iPod using resources from the core business segment of Macintosh computers. And even though the initial sales of iPod and its subsequent models didn't make much of an impression, Steve Jobs persisted. “Steve Jobs kept his promise, and the rest is history”

Fadell keeps his old iPod as a memento with many songs still stored in its memory. “It's a memorable time, and I want to preserve it as such,” Fadell confessed. “It's like a fondness and passion, bringing me back to the musical melodies of the early 2000s. It's like a mixtape of my favorite songs.”

Fadell suggests that Apple may shift towards a new product category – although he doesn't predict what the new product line might be – but this isn't the only way to innovate. There are plenty of ways to enhance existing product lines and create a wider range of accessories for them.“We'll have more accessories like AirPods or similar things,” Fadell also adds that there are many other aspects to improve Apple's existing products: “Not just innovation in hardware or creating something entirely new, that's not the only way. We'll innovate in aspects like software and services too.”

Interested readers can find more about Fadell's interview on Twitter.

Source: 9to5mac

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