Former Apple SVP of Retail Angela Ahrendts describes the foundational retail culture established by Steve Jobs that she inherited upon joining Apple.
Opinion
Ahrendts: Private equity firms often mistakenly think creative founders are "stupid"
“So many private equity, so many companies go in and they buy these companies and they think the founders are stupid because they don't talk the same language. They don't understand who they are.”
Assertion Partly supported
Ahrendts: Steve Jobs forbade Apple retail staff from selling
“All of those retail employees, they just revered Steve, and he told them they weren't allowed to sell, that their job was to enrich lives, and they needed to do it through the lens of education through his products”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Ahrendts: Jobs involving rote memorization like lawyers and researchers are going away
“Lawyers, researchers, anything with rote memorization is going away.”
Insight
Ahrendts: Internal resistance during a turnaround is a "cancer" to eradicate
“When you go into a new, and especially a turnaround, you have to have a, such a clear, bold vision. Yeah, and you can't have, I called it cancer. You cannot have cancer eating away at different parts of the organization. You need everybody. You need that body …”
Insight
Ahrendts: Authentic executive video should avoid studio production and makeup
“YouTube videos don't have studio lighting and hair and makeup. This has gotta be authentic. We'll do it in my office with an iPhone.”
Opinion
Ahrendts: Education must teach children intuition rather than rote memorization
“And I think, you didn't ask me, but if anybody ever asked me, your dream job next, I would create curriculum From kindergarten on up, teaching kids to use and unlock their instincts, because they're not gonna win with memorization, and there is nothing, right,…”