Phil Schiller got a bit of criticism for using the word courage to describe why Apple got rid of the headphone port. It’s been received by some as a bit marketing and fluffy. It’s also a little bit defensive and maybe slightly Yes, Minister.
I think the deeper problem is that the word is about them and not about what we get.
I’d have suggested they focus on Apple being the company who moves things forward.
No want wants wires. They want great sound and great usability.
This is a great insider’s-view article on how Microsoft lost its creative and innovative spark.
Internal competition is common at great companies. It can be wisely encouraged to force ideas to compete. The problem comes when the competition becomes uncontrolled and destructive. At Microsoft, it has created a dysfunctional corporate culture in which the big established groups are allowed to prey upon emerging teams, belittle their efforts, compete unfairly against them for resources, and over time hector them out of existence. It’s not an accident that almost all the executives in charge of Microsoft’s music, e-books, phone, online, search and tablet efforts over the past decade have left.