Book Review: Insanely Simple by Ken Segall

If you want to read a first person account on how Apple has designed, implemented and executed their marketing and advertising campaigns, Insanely Simple: That Obsession that Drives Apple’s Success by Ken Segall offers a glimpse on how the concept of simplicity drives Apple as a company.

As the person who was part of the team who came up with the famous “Think Different” TV advertisement and putting the letter “i” behind all Apple products, Ken Segall organizes Steve Job’s obsession into 10 simple principles. Read more

5 common myths successful CEOs like to tell you

Whether it’s in an interview in the trade magazines, in the college newspaper or on TV, CEOs of successful businesses like to paint a picture that belies the truth.

In some cases, it’s a romantic veneer over how hard they work, or how calculated they go about their management and this exists in part because the public wants an easily-digestible story of how to achieve results, or that it generally makes for a good uplifting reading.

Nobody likes to read a story of a struggle that includes constant repetition, problem-solving, manufacturing defects and late deliveries — it’s just “boring”. Read: Can’t sell newspapers or fill a business school auditorium.

The reality of it is much harsher yet simpler.

Read on for five common myths you’ll come across in interviews from successful CEOs (which you have to take with a generous pinch of salt): Read more

Steve Jobs, the comeback king

I’m not an Apple user, and I won’t consider myself a fan. But I felt a profound loss when I woke up this morning to learn that Steve Jobs is dead. He was 56.

You don’t have to use an iPhone to appreciate the things he has achieved. What inspired me the most about him was not his great vision for products, or his exacting leadership style, but that he was a comeback king.

After a leadership tussle at Apple in 1985, Steve was ousted from the company he created. Not one to sit still, he founded NeXT, which made an operating system that would become a foundation for the OS X. Read more

Age and gender do not define your chance at success

At 23 years old, Elfaine Tan has accomplished multiple feats. As winner of Shell’s LiveWIRE “Most Promising Enterprise Award” in 2009 and having been named one of Her World Magazine’s 50 “Most Inspiring Women Under 40″, Elfaine is the proud founder of The Sample Store (formerly known as Fr3b.com), an on-line store that distributes and sells samples.

(Photo: Elfaine, far left, with her The  Sample Store team)

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65Bits Episode 103: You don’t know who’s Dick Tracey!?

Our friends at Tech65 start their weekly podcast on the following issues that dominated the tech landscape last week: [1] Get well soon, Steve! Now the rest of you, stop panicking!!, [2] Google closes down lesser known services, [3] Google Chrome gets Mac and Linux deadline and extensions foundation, [4] Apple’s MobileMe free trials could lose your data, [5] We can’t get enough of the Palm Pre! – Under the hood – Great article about the Pre, [6] More CES!
(i) Dell Adamo, (ii) Samsung announces a unified User Interface across their products, (iii) The LG watch phone, (iv) Asus comes up with a whole bunch of stuff (including a cool keyboard, a NAS and a tablet) and the Byte of the Week: Poladroid.net. Do click and check out their podcast.

65Bits Episode 100 – 100 weeks of bitching. Still Going Strong. Still Givin’ You Sommore

We congratulate Tech65 with their celebration for the 100th episode which took place in Geek Terminal last Saturday. Check out the pictures of what transpired in the event. Our friends at Tech65 start their weekly podcast on the following issues that dominated the tech landscape last week: [1] Apple: no Jobs keynote, 2009 our last Macworld Expo, [2] Tech65 Crew Revist last years predictions and wish list, [3] Tech65 Crew makes new predictions and wishlist for 2009. Do click and check out their podcast. Also check out their new show: Gear65 Episode 1. Read more