5 ChatGPT prompts to apply Steve Jobs’ wisdom to your business
Steve Jobs cofounded one of the most successful companies of all time. That company, Apple, was built upon specific business principles. Those principles aren’t a secret, nor are they complex. Copy the strategies of the late, great CEO and business leader and apply them to your brand. Pursue excellence in its most simple form to make gains of a Steve Jobs magnitude. ChatGPT can help you apply his wisdom, starting today.
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“When anything started to seem complex, Steve would hit it with the simple stick,” said Ken Segall, former creative director at CHIAT, the ad agency that worked with Apple over a long period of time. The simple stick metaphor was embedded in the culture of Apple. Jobs believed in concentrating on a few key products and doing them exceptionally well. He was hell bent on eliminating unnecessary activities and distractions to channel energy and resources into the most impactful areas. If it’s good enough for Jobs, it’s good enough for you.
“Acting as a business coach, your task is to ask me questions, one by one, about my core business offer. As I give you information, process the information and ask further questions, also one by one, about how it could be simpler. Encourage me to question every aspect of my offer, suggesting where I can combine or eliminate tasks or elements in order to boil it down to the very basics. Where you deem I am making something too complicated, remind me of Steve Jobs’ “simple stick” and request that I use it to simplify further.”
When your customers are happy, your business grows. See every single aspect of your products and services from their point of view. Jobs prioritized the user experience above all. He believed that all Apple products should be intuitive, aesthetically pleasing, and designed with the end-user in mind. This principle meant Apple pursued seamless integration and simplicity long after their competitors had said “that’ll do.” Put yourself firmly in your customers’ shoes and keep them on for the long term.
“My dream customer is [describe the demographics, wants, needs and fears of your dream customer]. Based on the information provided about my core offer, list ten questions that my dream customer might have about my business. Then, require that the user experience of my product or service is intuitive and close to seamless, so my customer feels in control and supported through using and enjoying my product or service.”
Suppliers can let you down and economic shocks can stop you delivering the goods to customers. So take control. One way Apple controlled the entire user experience was by managing both the hardware and software aspects of products. Jobs drove this strategy. More control meant greater quality and a more cohesive product ecosystem. How could this apply to your business?
“In my business I rely on these suppliers: [list your suppliers here, including people, manufacturers and software platforms.] Starting from the most simple, take these suppliers one by one and suggest ways I could have more control over their operations, to ultimately have more control within my business. Your task is to bring new ideas to my business that I can experiment with.”
Perfectionism can hold founders back. But when you’re successfully doing less but better, perfectionism is a strength. Intense obsession with your one core focus means never resting until your standard of work is at the top of its capability. Perfection becomes a natural byproduct of committing to quality. Jobs had a relentless pursuit of perfection and a strong attention to detail. He believed that even the smallest details mattered. Design, functionality, packaging and brand. Obsess over the details for the level of perfection that others are too busy to access.
“Let’s reimagine my main product or service at the absolute top of its capability, achieving perfection in every sense. Exploring the look, feel, smell, sound and experience of every product, the wording of every page, email and social post, as well as other elements of my business. First, give me a checklist of its components, ask if the checklist is accurate, make any edits, then run through each item with me, so I can score every element on a scale of 1 (terrible) to 5 (perfect), and identify where to focus to achieve perfection.”
Technology is moving at a rapid pace, and you should be too. Your customers expect it, so there’s no other way. Jobs believed in staying ahead of the curve and continually reinventing products to meet and exceed customer expectations. Be curious about the future and your place within it, ask questions, be hungry to learn, and apply new discoveries to your product and services. Experiment until you hit upon something that works, then continue in that direction, never stopping the progress.
“Knowing what you know about my business, suggest 3 areas I should be innovating constantly. For each area, give me: a) another company I should look to for inspiration, that doesn’t need to be in the same industry, b) a prediction about what will be required of this area in the future, and c) a list of weekly tasks for us to carry out within the business to ensure we stay ahead of the curve.”
Be more Steve Jobs in your business with these five simple prompts for ChatGPT. Use the simple stick on your business processes, build with your customers front and centre of your mind, and aim to have more control over the entire process. Apply perfectionism through intense obsessing, and innovate continuously to stay ahead of the curve. Steve Jobs lives on in spirit, the wisdom he preached and practiced can transform your business.
