This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/apple by /u/lessexplored on 2024-08-25 13:05:10+00:00.

I stumbled upon this old clip of Steve Ballmer, the ex-CEO of Microsoft, commented on the 1st iPhone right after its 2007 launch.

Interviewer: What was your first reaction when you saw the iPhone?

Steve: LOL …most expensive phone in the world and doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a keyboard…

Frankly, his perspective made a lot of sense. Let’s rewind to 2007: fully touchscreen phones made up less than 1% of mobile phone sales. Everyone was content with keyboard phones—they were faster and more accurate for texting and dialing. A phone with just a touchscreen and no physical keyboard? It seemed crazy and undesirable to almost everyone.

For Apple to build an entirely touch-based phone was seen nearly as a reckless gamble. Imagine trying to pitch this idea back then to investors, shareholders, or company executives, who would rightfully ask, “What’s the unique selling point (USP) here?” Back then, even Steve Jobs would’ve had hard time convincing people, but luckily, he didn’t need to persuade many people to move forward with his vision. As Steve Ballmer’s reaction highlights, the idea was far from universally understood–at least until the iPhone’s sales numbers started to roll in.

Perhaps USP isn’t just about having a killer idea that wows everyone immediately. Sometimes, it’s about a novel concept that starts with a small group of believers and is brought to life through relentless and meticulous execution. Steve Ballmer couldn’t pull it off—but fortunately the other Steve did.