A powerful lesson from Apple and Starbucks

Is your business both focused and flexible?

Those words almost sound like opposites. They’re not. In business, they work together beautifully.

• It’s essential to know what you want to achieve and to stay focused on it.
• However, you also need to remain flexible regarding how it happens. Then, as new information and opportunities come along, you can adjust your approach.

So, you remain both focused and flexible.

You couldn’t buy a cup of coffee from Starbucks

It’s true. Starbucks had already been in business for several years, and opened its first 5 stores, before you could buy a cup of coffee from them. Until then, you could only buy their coffee beans. Originally, customers were offered a free cup of coffee, in order to sample the beans.

Starbucks then started selling the coffee and the rest is history. Flexible thinking allowed them to identify a new opportunity. (I wrote a useful post about a marketing lesson from coffee shops, which can be applied to every business, including yours).

Starbucks’ focus remained the same: to build a successful coffee business. However, their approach changed.

And Apple only sold computers and software

Apple’s surge to being the world’s most valuable company started with a pivot. Initially, Apple was exclusively a computer company. Steve Jobs decided to enter the music industry, with the iPod and iTunes. Then, Apple pivoted again, creating the iPhone. Based on June 2023 data, if iPhone was a company by itself, its revenues would be $394.33 billion; that’s hundreds of percent higher than Coca-Cola and MacDonald’s, combined! Flexible thinking transformed The Apple Computer Company Inc, into the world’s most valuable brand.

Apple’s focus remained the same: to create beautifully designed technology and software. However, their approach changed.

Learn from the success of others, my friend. Remain focused on what you want to achieve, but be flexible on how you achieve it.

P.S. For more ideas on how to make this work for your business, I’ve written this:
Agile Thinking – A new mindset for a new landscape.