Apple CEO Tim Cook “Be Best, Not First” – 2017 edition

It’s well known that Apple wants to be best, not first. But as technology makes everything faster all the time, it’s easy for companies and managers to feel the need to be first and let short term pressure distract them from their end game. That’s why I never get tired of Apple’s “be best, not first” mantra. They’re one of the planet’s best innovators and the world’s most valuable company, so this is critical advice for lenders as our innovation race just begins. Here’s Tim Cook with his 2017 version of the mantra:

We invest for the long term. We don’t feel an impatience to be first. It’s just not how we’re wired. Our thing is to be the best and to give the user something that really makes a difference in their lives. When you look back in time, the iPod was not the first MP3 player. The iPhone was not the first smartphone. The iPad was not the first tablet. I could go on. If you get caught up in the shiny thing du jour, you lose sight of the biggest forest.

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Full Interview:
–Tim Cook Q&A With Bloomberg Businessweek