TEI 172: Apple’s product development process and secrets to success – with John Carter

One of the things I enjoy doing is teaching product and innovation management university courses. My students often are in a leadership role in their organization and I'm helping them with product innovation. When we discuss examples of innovative organizations, Apple is a popular choice. It's also a good choice. They provide many lessons, such as the power of trends, why focusing on fewer products is better than scattering your efforts, the advantages of controlling an ecosystem, and the benefits of the fast-follower strategy. So, when I was at a product conference and met the person who helped orchestrate Apple's original product process that is still used today, you can understand why I was excited. This was my opportunity to learn first-hand what Apple was struggling with and how the new adopted product process helped them. That person is John Carter. In addition to Apple, he has been a valued advisor to Cisco, Dolby, HP, IBM, Xerox and others. In addition to innovation, he has a strong background in engineering and was the co-inventor of the BOSE Noise Cancelling Headphones. I could share a lot more about John's accomplishments, but the recommendations from employees and clients on his LinkedIn profile are more insightful. One shares… "John Carter has one of fastest and best minds you will ever encounter. At the same time, he is careful to listen to and integrate the ideas and insights of others. He's open-minded and ethical and knows what risks to take and when. If 'cool-hand' John Carter is in your corner, be prepared to win!" In the little time I have known John, I agree -- he is one to learn from, which is why I asked him to join us and discuss the creation of the Apple product process.