Chapter 1466 Challenge

Jobs finally returned to work after the operation and seemed to be in good condition, but Feng Yiping did not ask him how he was doing.

From the beginning, he didn't want everyone to pay more attention to his body. This had both personal reasons and company considerations.

From a personal point of view, as a proud person like Jobs, he did not want people around him to sympathize with him as a weakling because of his illness. He could not accept that kind of sympathy.

From the company's perspective, as the person who founded and brought Apple back from the brink of death, Steve Jobs is as important to Apple as Feng Yiping is to Huaqiang. Their words and deeds will directly affect the company. The confidence of employees, the company's performance, and health factors are naturally the top priority.

For example, Steve Jobs's major health problem was kept very strictly hidden both internally and externally. The surgery on July 31 was only reported to company employees on August 1, the first day after the successful operation. As soon as the news was announced, the outside world also learned about it.

Looking at Jobs, who looked almost the same as before the operation, I am afraid that only Feng Yiping knew what the nine-month delay from the time of his diagnosis in October last year to his final agreement to undergo surgery at the end of July really meant.

Maybe Jobs himself knew this, or maybe he had a lot of new insights after experiencing life and death. Anyway, he now looks a bit like he is making plans for the future.

During the operation and recovery, he proposed that Cook act as CEO; he was working with Foster to design the future Apple headquarters; he and his design team were more involved in designing and improving the iPhone, which was still top secret at this time, and were thinking about it. and planning subsequent product lines….

Feng Yiping was very sorry. If Jobs could have surgery as soon as possible, the future would be very different.

However, on many things, Jobs was so proud, or so arbitrary, that it was often difficult to listen to other people's opinions, especially on issues related to his own health. Feng Yiping's previous persuasion, It doesn't do much.

However, the purpose of Feng Yiping's visit today was to challenge him once more, to see if he could convince Jobs again.

"So, did Bill really agree to invest in your electric car project?" Jobs asked.

"They are really interested in Tesla and SolarCity,"

Jobs waved his hand and said, "Well, Bill finally did something serious this time and finally spent the money on the right path."

It can be seen that Uncle Joe is not interested in the things Gates has done in charity.

Of course, there are many things that he doesn't like about Bill Gates, and it's not just this one aspect. In his eyes, the richest man who is respected and respected by the world is full of faults.

"What about you, apart from these two new projects, have any domestic design companies launched any new products?" He is still most interested in industrial design.

“Currently, the design department’s most important research projects are several bicycles, but they have not been finalized yet,”

"This is a challenge," Jobs said immediately. "The more commonly used something is, the greater the challenge is to make something new."

"But my team and I still like this kind of challenge," Feng Yiping smiled.

"Yes, we all like challenges," Jobs seemed to like Feng Yiping's answer, patting the armrest of the sofa and laughing.

When this usually stern and grumpy person laughs, it will give people extra strength.

Feng Yiping was ready to start another challenge of his own in due course, but Jobs said again, "Many people, I mean the vast majority of people, actually don't know what they want. So, our most successful design challenge is There is nothing better than the ability to create strong demand for the final product produced,”

This point of view is not unfamiliar to Feng Yiping, because it is one of Steve Jobs' core concepts about his design. Although he is a designer, he does not care about the needs of users at all.

He paranoidly believes that as long as he can design the ultimate product, he will definitely create demand. Users who don't know what they need will rush to buy it.

As we all know, he succeeded.

But his successful experience is difficult to copy, and it is precisely because of this that he highlights his unprecedented success.

"I think so too," Feng Yiping nodded.

"After you have the results of the bicycle design, show it to me,"

"Steve," Feng Yiping saw that he was about to end the conversation and said quickly, "I have one more question."

Jobs said nothing and nodded.

"You know, I have recently visited many well-known entrepreneurs, and I hope that everyone can visit China at the end of next month, because I believe that a trip to China can bring many real benefits to everyone, including Apple, so, you ,"

"I won't go to China," Jobs interrupted Feng Yiping unceremoniously.

However, looking at the expression on Feng Yiping's face, he finally added, "Of course, this has nothing to do with you. You know, my time is very tight now,"

Feng Yiping felt a little uncomfortable, and he did not hide his disappointment.

Although Feng Yiping was not a Apple fan originally, Jobs had never been to China throughout his life. This made him, like many Apple fans and people who admired Jobs, always somewhat resentful.

And Jobs's unthinking objection just now made Feng Yiping a little dissatisfied. Why do you dislike China so much?

There are many different opinions and interpretations about why Jobs did not come to China, but Feng Yiping knows that the reason why Jobs was most dissatisfied was naturally the imitation of Apple products by some domestic companies in the last century.

After discovering this situation, he instructed Apple to protest to the government. Of course, there was no result in the end, which gave him the impression that China is a country where counterfeiting is rampant and the government supports this behavior.

Although this is true to a certain extent, compared with Microsoft's approach, his and Apple's approach still seems a bit arrogant.

Didn't Microsoft consider China's national conditions and cultivate users through pirated software, and finally successfully expand sales in China?

But when Jobs and Apple released the iPhone in 2007, they didn't consider China at all. The second generation of iPhone was also not considered. It was not until the third generation that we could buy it - this is definitely not hunger marketing, it is ignoring.

Why ignore? They think that Chinese consumers can't afford Apple products.

If you tell them that China will even replace the United States and become Apple's largest market, they probably won't believe it anyway.

"Steve, in fact, Apple and China have a deep connection. You may not know that our outstanding leader Deng has a famous saying about computers,"

"He said that learning computers should start from childhood. He said this while standing behind a child who was using a computer. The computer that the child was using was an Apple product,"

"This photo was published in the newspaper with the largest circulation in my country, and was later quoted and reprinted by many media, allowing many people who are interested in computers to know about Apple,"

"In fact, it can be said that the top leader of our country helped Apple to make a far-reaching advertisement for free,"

Jobs was stunned, "Oh? This is the first time I have heard of such a thing,"

"You can check it now," Feng Yiping also waved his hand.

"I know that your design concept is deeply influenced by Japanese Zen, but you may not know that Japanese Zen comes from China. I firmly believe that our country's thousands of years of culture will definitely provide you with a lot of reference in design,"

The reason why Jobs went to Japan many times has a lot to do with this. As we all know, he believes in Buddhism, but his belief in Buddhism is influenced by the Japanese.

It can even be said that the West Coast of the United States is the region where Japanese culture is best exported.

"Indeed, in modern times, our country does not have many works in industrial design that can make people shine, but this does not mean that we have no design. There is a very simple way to test it,"

"There is one thing that our country has a lot of, but the United States has very few. Of course, due to some not-so-justifiable reasons, there are also many in the United States now, that is, cultural relics. You can go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the cultural relics of our country exhibited there. Whether it is design or craftsmanship, I believe, you will be amazed,"

"As early as hundreds of years ago, when the lords and even kings of Western countries were still living a life that was almost primitive, many ordinary people in our country could wear beautiful silk fabrics, live in houses with natural and elegant design styles, sit on many chairs whose design concepts you will definitely admire, and enjoy delicious food with exquisite ceramic tableware,"

"I believe that you only need to go there once, or even go to other places, just look at the exhibits on display in our national museum, and you will immediately understand that what I said is true,"

Jobs' face was a little wonderful. This was the first time he saw Feng Yiping so excited in front of him.

It's just that he really has a bad impression of China, and it's not just because of the reasons mentioned above.

In fact, as early as 1985, after receiving the official permission from the United States to sell Apple II to the Chinese education department, he would have gone to China to attend the signing ceremony, but that period happened to be the time when he and Sculley, the president of Apple, who he invited, were competing most fiercely.

At that time, he planned to reorganize Apple and let Sculley be in charge of the reorganized sales department, but his plan was leaked. Everyone knows what happened afterwards. It was Sculley, not him, who finally got the support of the Apple board of directors. Not only did Jobs not regain power, but he was deprived of all rights in the company he founded.

When preparing for his first trip to China, he happened to experience the biggest blow in his life. He is a Buddhist, and Buddhism emphasizes cause and effect, so he didn't like the trip to China.

It has to be said that in the dark, some things seem to be really mysterious.

The last press conference in Jobs' life happened to be related to China.

"Feng, don't get excited," Jobs waved his hand.

How can I not be excited? Let's not talk about Japan, you also admire India. When you were young, you went to India and have a spiritual mentor from India since then. Let's not talk about China becoming Apple's largest market in the future. Just talking about Chinese culture, why do you dislike it?

"Steve, there are some things you have to understand. In the past, when our country's per capita GDP did not exceed 1,000 US dollars, including the average annual income of many people, did not exceed 1,000 US dollars, some unpleasant things did happen, but now it has changed a lot, right?"

Faced with such an excited Feng Yiping, the always tough Jobs was quite friendly, "In fact, from you and the products designed by your company, I do have a completely different understanding of China than before."

His statement made Feng Yiping a little uncomfortable. Originally, he was ready to challenge him once.

Anyway, according to his own arrangement, there will be many opportunities to quarrel with him in the future. It is better to adapt to it now. The best result is naturally to quarrel and quarrel until everyone is used to it.

"Oh, sorry Steve," Jobs softened, and he naturally didn't feel angry anymore.

"I understand," Jobs said, "Look, I let Cook go with you, how about it?"

"Steve, you can also regard this as an invitation from a junior and a friend to you,"

Cook went to China so frequently later, this time, Feng Yiping didn't want him to go.

Jobs thought for a while, "Okay Feng, let me think about it and look at my schedule,"

Oh yeah!

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