Some individuals close to Steve Jobs maintain the notion that he had a four-year business plan for the future of Apple. Which, for those of us obsessed with all things Apple, would have been absolutely amazing. However, who’s to say if this is factual or false, perhaps just a fantasy of his most avid supporters.
Here’s the thing with four-year plans in technology…do they ever work the way the maker intends? Technology is ever-evolving and it seems nearly impossible for one to predict the future of a concept, device or company, Steve Jobs or otherwise. A primary reason for this is likely the progress of other companies within the four-year time span. Once companies initiate market changes, others such as Apple have to assess and adapt to these changes to ensure the companies success.
So perhaps Jobs had a plan and perhaps the plan was successful, though how likely is this for other companies and other technology moguls? Maybe those successful CEOs from this week’s readings are capable of planning and not others? I just don’t know!
