Steve Jobs on Segway design: "It sucks"

ironchef82ironchef82
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
(semi-long book excerpt, but an interesting read)



http://hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu/p...3&t=innovation



addendum: wow, the book has gotten terrible reviews on amazon...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ironchef82

    (semi-long book excerpt, but an interesting read)



    http://hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu/p...3&t=innovation



    addendum: wow, the book has gotten terrible reviews on amazon...



    One thing is sure i will not buy one of this segway scooter, i would feel ridiculous on it.
  • Reply 2 of 15
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Yeah, this was the "big thing" that was supposed to forever change our lives, right?







    (we really need a "jerk off" smiley, for dismissive, Sipowicz type gestures)







    No one cares about this Segway thing. At least right now, at its current design and price. In theory, yeah...cool.



    In practice/real life? Hardly.



    Try again, Dean.
  • Reply 3 of 15
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pscates

    Yeah, this was the "big thing" that was supposed to forever change our lives, right?







    Well no, it really didn't change our lives...but I still applaud Dean for being one of the few who actually is coming up with innovative devices.



    Problem is the cost made it prohibitive for the masses....hmm..sounds like there's a parallel with Apple products.
  • Reply 4 of 15
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Truth is, if they made it so you looked cool on it instead of looking like a dork while riding/driving it, they could have sold a ton of these things. It's supposed to be fun to use, but you look silly, and God knows, no one wants to look silly in front of total strangers nevermind friends.
  • Reply 5 of 15
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    The funniest thing in the article is how often Steve talks about shitting in your pants. He stalks into that meeting with fantasticly valuable criticisms though. Criticisms that are still pertinent to the present.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    yevgenyyevgeny Posts: 1,148member
    The form and presentation of Mr Jobs' comments are commonplace to anyone who works in the software industry. We don't sugarcoat what we have to say when we disagree. I admire Mr Jobs' fortitude for being willing to be that candid to a bunch of people who he really didn't know. Although it stinks to have the boot (sneaker) of someone like Mr. Jobs planted on your rear, it actually is quite productive for the project and such criticism (although it seems harsh) is usually quite useful. All to often, a team that is designing a product will develop tunnel vision and in doing so will need someone to bring them back into a proper perspective.



    I particularly agree with Jobs' comment about running their own assembly line. The justification they gave (to ward off theft of their IP) is ridiculous. The assertion that nobody will be able to reverse engineer their parts is also completely laughable- as if any of the large defense contractors couldn't make a Segway inside of a few months. Dean Carmen is certainly a smart man, but he is paranoid in all the wrong ways. He should be using the IP laws to protect his interests and he should be focusing on reducing the cost of the shipping units so that nobody else can enter into the market place.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    serranoserrano Posts: 1,806member
    Quote:

    The others were so intent on Ginger that they didn't notice Jobs walk in. He was dressed even more casually than Dean, in sneakers, a black turtleneck, and Levi's in which a white pocket poked out of a big front hole.



    [i]Ha, ha, I have this image of a closet full of black turtlenecks and levis.
  • Reply 8 of 15
    doctorgonzodoctorgonzo Posts: 529member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by drewprops

    The funniest thing in the article is how often Steve talks about shitting in your pants.



    He is a vegetarian, so......
  • Reply 9 of 15
    wrong robotwrong robot Posts: 3,907member
    He's vegan! 8)







    Personally....I like this article, It's like a bunch of nerds trying to impress the cool kid....or....erm...something like that
  • Reply 10 of 15
    appleexecappleexec Posts: 51member
    Steve is out of control, whether it is a good thing or not is for you to decide but his negotiating skills cannot be ignored...just pop open iTunes to know that.
  • Reply 11 of 15
    n a d n e r bn a d n e r b Posts: 144member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pscates





    (we really need a "jerk off" smiley, for dismissive, Sipowicz type gestures)







    Or a smiley that does that... dick sucking thing... you know, where you put your hand to your mouth and push your cheek out with your tongue.
  • Reply 12 of 15
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    That was an interesting read.



    My opinion on the Segway is basically that it's a stupid, overpriced toy for rich people who have so much money they don't know how to spend it. If you want to go a short to medium distance, take a bike (which goes the same speed as the Segway). It's cheaper, and you can strap stuff to it instead of having to carry your stuff in a backpack. If you need to go longer distances, get a little motor scooter. They still cost less than the Segway, and they can go much farther, much faster, and can carry more.



    The only person who could ever want/need a Segway would be someone who can't handle biking three or four miles. Anything farther than that and it would take a bit too long to get there on a Segway.
  • Reply 13 of 15
    o and ao and a Posts: 579member
    This excerpt has been out for a year.
  • Reply 14 of 15
    dfilerdfiler Posts: 3,420member
    Well said Luca.



    The segway simply costs to much to be a viable replacement for the majority of transportation needs. Since its not an inherently better form of transportation, it would have to be more convenient, cool, and inexpensive than it ended up being.



    I was fascinated more by the interaction of the people in the article than by the specifics of their discussion. Just watching successful people interact can, in it self, be extremely educational. While Job's deserves his reputation, his behavior is not that offensive to me. I've always thought it appropriate for geniuses to be more than typically adamant in expression of their opinion. When you're right, and millions of dollars are at stake, why pull punches.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    anamacanamac Posts: 80member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Luca Rescigno

    That was an interesting read.



    My opinion on the Segway is basically that it's a stupid, overpriced toy for rich people who have so much money they don't know how to spend it. If you want to go a short to medium distance, take a bike (which goes the same speed as the Segway). It's cheaper, and you can strap stuff to it instead of having to carry your stuff in a backpack. If you need to go longer distances, get a little motor scooter. They still cost less than the Segway, and they can go much farther, much faster, and can carry more.



    The only person who could ever want/need a Segway would be someone who can't handle biking three or four miles. Anything farther than that and it would take a bit too long to get there on a Segway.



    And you could also note that one very well known rich American (rhymes with "whoosh") has had a bit of trouble riding this luxury object.



    If you want style, get a Vespa!
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